5 things to see in the Sagrada Familia church
2013
Recommended by your private tourguide!
If there is one MUST-SEE place in town, that’s definitely the Sagrada Familia church. Started in 1882 by the architect Francesc de Paula i Villar, Gaudi took over the project a year later and transformed it into his masterpiece, his passion and obsession.
It won’t be finished until 2026-30 (approx), but the inside was finally completed, freed of scaffolding and consecrated by Pope Benedict in 2010.
Here are my favorite items there, what they are and where to find them:
The soldier with 6 toes. The butcher who posed for the soldier of Herod was born with six toes, and that’s how Gaudi decided to represent him in stone. It’s hard to see the to
e, but you can make it out in the Façade of the Nativity. Or in a good guidebook…
The stain-glass colors reflecting on the columns. Once you enter the main nave, you’ll be at awe: it’s so out of this world! My favorite time is in autumn and spring, when the sunlight reflects the stain-glass colors in the columns and makes you feel you are inside a magical forest of stone.
The cryptogram that adds up to 33. Subirachs, the artist who made the sculptures in the Passion Façade decided to hide there a few secret symbols. This cryptogram or magical square adds up to the age of Jesus when he died.
The hanging model. The star of the museum in the basement is this polifunicular model, a replica of the one that Gaudi created to design the church of the Colònia Güell for his best friend Eusebi Güell. It’s fascinating how he’d only need strings and little bags of sand to calculate what our architects now do on their computers…
Gaudi’s tomb. You don’t need to pay to see this one, as the crypt is open for prayers and services and it’s free of charge. Not being recognized as the great master he was when he was run over by a tram, he died in a hospital for poor people. But then, over 100,000 people came to pay their respects in his funeral. Sad end for an incredible man.
So what about you? Did you know about all this? Tell us what’s your favorite part of the Sagrada Família by leaving a comment below!
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