La Sagrada Família – Gaudí’s Wondrous Masterpiece – Part 1

Towering over the skyline of Barcelona, stands the wondrous la Sagrada Família. This singular, yet unfinished, edifice is the crowning achievement of Modernista architect, Antoni Gaudí. And I was fortunate enough to visit it after finishing an amazing rowing tour down Spain’s Ebro river. I approached from the east, having made my way down the street from exploring Hopital de Sant Pau: The Other Modernista Wonder of Barcelona. Upon arriving, I was met by the elaborately decorated Nativity Façade.

The Nativity Façade

Gaudí’s dream for the Basilica de la Sagrada Família was to recreate the Bible story of the life of Christ in stone. Thus, he began with the Nativity. This façade therefore, is covered in vignettes of the story of the birth of Jesus. Carved in intricate detail and with such an intense degree of density, in places it looks like the stone is literally dripping from the building. Begun in 1883, it is also one of the only sections of the basilica to be almost entirely completed during Gaudí’s lifetime. Thus, it is the façade most faithful to his design and therefore one of the purest examples of his vision for this magnificent church.

New Life

Nature is one of the fundamental features of the Art Nouveau style. And Gaudí incorporated it throughout his design of la Sagrada Família, both figuratively and metaphorically. He associated the birth of Jesus with spring and the beginning of life. Thus he situated his church so that the Nativity façade would face east, representing the beginning of the day. And he filled each of its three portals with flora and fauna, symbolically reinforcing the meaning of each of the scenes carved upon them. This included the bronze doors which are covered in leafy vines. And, looking more closely, I discovered a collection of tiny creatures forever taking shelter among the patinaed foliage.

Painting with Light

Upon entering la Sagrada Família, an entirely different vision greeted me. And it left me breathless! With the exception of the doors, the façade was monochrome and showing its age with layers of soot. Here though, was a rainbow of colour and light created by sunlight showering through multi-hued stained glass onto the pale stone structure. And while the exterior felt almost claustrophobic with the busyness of its design, the interior was an expansive haven of clean lines and openness. Despite these extreme contrasts, the Modernista principle of incorporating nature into the design held true within as it had without. And here too, Gaudí stayed true to his Biblical vision. This time, using a palette of blue and green stained glass on the eastern wall to represent the Nativity.

Meanwhile, windows of primarily red and gold stood on the west wall, the exterior of which holds the Passion façade. My visit was late in the afternoon when the sun was decline in the west and the effect of it beaming through those windows was incredible. So much so that at times it seemed the building was on fire! And the way the light dyed the stone walls, it was as though a master painter was at work on an ever-changing canvas.

Forest of Stone

These towering windows are supported by what Gaudí referred to as the ‘forest’.  This collection of massive stone columns, shaped like tree trunks, reach heights of up to 45 metres. Each is made of either sandstone, granite, basalt or porphyry, depending on their diameter. Hearing them referred to as a forest reminded me of another great church:  Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. Her ‘forest’ was the set of ancient oaks that made up the rafters supporting her expansive roof. Unfortunately, they were destroyed during the fire in 2019. You can read about the efforts to rebuild her in my post Saving Notre Dame: An Epic Endeavour. 

A Divine Canopy

In this forest though, these grandiloquent pillars pull the eye upward, where yet another wonder awaits the eye. For, like any forest, this one also has a majestic canopy. But it is much more than that. It’s stylized leaves, accented with gold leaf and white light, offer a sense of the mystical. I found it so compelling that my neck started to get sore from gazing up at it for so long.

And, as if this weren’t enough, on the great vault covering the apse in which the altar rests, is situated a stunning golden triangle – the representation of God the Creator.

And to its west, stands the most whimsical, circular staircase I’ve ever seen. My timing was perfect. For the late afternoon sun flowed through its golden windows, turning it into a massive lantern.

Liturgical Accessories

A devout Catholic, the liturgy was very important to Gaudí. So, in addition to the structure, he also designed pieces of furniture and liturgical objects for la Sagrada Família. As with the architecture, these smaller works also stand out for their unique shapes. However, looks alone were not his only concern. As with all his furniture, he designed these functional items in an ergonomic manner that ensured that both priests and parishioners would be comfortable.

Just as Gaudí intended, the interior of this wondrous edifice both reminds us of nature and invites us to look inward. Worthy goals for any place of worship!

Stay tuned for part two of my tour of la Sagrada Família where we’ll explore the Passion façade and the crypt.