Cultural Activity: La Sagrada Familia

While my parents were in town, I went with them to visit the Sagrada Familia church. Although I live only a few blocks away from this world-famous landmark, I had never been inside and was excited to see what the interior of the church looked like.

Before going inside, I took some time to wander around the outside of the church and look at all the different facades. The Nativity facade (pictured at left), the only one finished by Gaudi before his death, is my favorite part of the church. I pass Sagrada Familia every day on my way to my metro stop, but I can always notice new details in the sandcastle-like architecture of this facade. The newer and more modern Passion facade (pictured below), in my opinion, is less aesthetically appealing. However, I do like to notice the contradictions between the older and newer parts of the building. The Glory facade, which is presently being constructed, will be the last facade to be completed. I find it amazing to see this famous landmark being constructed before my eyes. I have visited so many ancient churches in Italy and the rest of Europe, most of which have been standing for centuries. It is so interesting to actually be able to see a landmark of that caliber being built. Twenty or thirty years from now, when I have children of my own, I hope to be able to bring them on a trip to Barcelona so that I can see how different Sagrada Familia looks in the future.

After touring the outside of the church and telling my family all the facts I could remember from making my Sagrada Familia neighborhood presentation in Barcelona: Past & Present, we bought tickets and audio guides and entered the church. I was very surprised when I first saw the interior of Sagrada Familia. Although I knew that the church is still under construction, I expected the interior to look like all of the ancient churches I had seen in cities like Rome, Milan, and Florence. While these churches contain rows of pews, giant panels of stained glass, and antique-looking altars, the inside of Sagrada Familia looks like a construction site. There are tubs of concrete, piles of stones, and metal rods sticking out of the floor. I was disappointed at first, but when I began to listen to the audio guide and learned about the architecture and what the church would look like when it was completed, I could visualize what the completed church would look like. After hearing about where the choir is to be placed, what each and every column will look like when it is finished, and how the rest of the church will be decorated, I could imagine Gaudi's vision for this amazing building.

     One thing I really enjoyed was that at the end of the audio tour, there was an exhibit pointing out how Gaudi was inspired by nature. Pictures compared his architecture to photographs of animals, plants, and trees. When I went back outside, I was able to see how pieces of nature inspired the designs Gaudi chose for the church's facades.