View of the Sagrada Familia stained glass windows in the Passion side

La Sagrada Familia stained glass windows explained

One of la Sagrada Familia stained glass windows

ALL ABOUT THE SAGRADA FAMILIA WINDOWS BY JOAN VILA-GRAU

Entering the Sagrada Familia church for the first time is an experience that one never forgets. Giant trees made of stone salute you raising to impossibly high vaults, while the colors of the sun through the windows paints the stone with light brush strokes. Even non-religious people feel inspired and uplifted. And the stained glasses of the church play a prominent role in making you connect with the divine. Their swirl of colors, always different, fills you with emotions that are hard to describe. Today I’ll take you discovering the thoughts behind their magic.

What do we know about Gaudi's plans for the Sagrada Familia stained glass?

1

Gothic Inspiration

With this blue Sagrada Familia stained glass windows Gaudi explained his overall plan for the rest of the windows.

It's well known that for Gaudi the Gothic architecture was the most advanced engineering technique, and he was inspired in it to take it to a higher level. He turned pointed arches into parabolic arches and was able to get ride of the buttresses that propped up old cathedrals in order to rise self-supporting masterpieces. Similarly, he looks into Gothic stained glass to find the base from where he'll approach the Sagrada Familia windows. Unfortunately, he never had enough time to go much into detail about his plans, and he mostly left only general guidelines to be interpreted by the next generations.

We know, for instance, that he turns upside-down the typical color graduation found in Gothic churches, in order to create as much contrast as possible. Medieval stained glasses tended to be brighter at the top, closer to the sky, and darker at the bottom where the sunlight was blocked by trees and surrounding buildings, and because of that the stained glass artists aimed to create a balance by adding more filters at the top than at the bottom. Instead, Gaudi instructs to leave the top windows as clear and transparent as possible, so the sunlight can illuminate the vaults decorated with small bits of colored Murano glass, thinking that “the sun is the best painter”.

Therefore, the filters will be applied in the windows’ lower levels, where the symbols and iconography will go: as close as possible to the visitors, so they are able to read them and learn from those symbols and characters, just like in the Middle Ages the illiterate believers learned from the designs displayed by on the stained glass. 

2

The stained glass in the crypt by Darius Vilàs

The crypt of the Sagrada Familia doesn't follow Gaudi's design: in 1883 he was a young and inexperienced graduated that was offered to continue the works abandoned by an older and much more established colleague, Francesc de Paula i Villar. This one had planned a much more simple Neo-Gothic church, and Gaudi had to complete the crypt following Villar's plans. He would only be able to change the project once he started the working on the ground level.

What Gaudi did change in the crypt, however, is that he digged out a dry moat around it and opened large windows into it, in order to let the natural sunlight in. The one in charge of designing the stained classes was Darius Vilàs, in collaboration with the glaziers of the Bonet workshop.

Darius Vilàs was a paintor and stained glass artist who grew up during the Modernism times and after getting in contact with the Renascence art in Italy, he evolved into the Catalan Noucentisme that claimed to go back to the order of the classics after so many years of Modernist reverie. He met Gaudi in the Barcelona intellectual and artistic circles, and could have also crossed him or even collaborated with him in Montserrat and Palma de Mallorca.

3

The trichromy technique

Antoni Gaudí wasn’t fond of techniques that soil the stained glass colors and block the light, such as enamel, paint or grisaille applied over the glass. So for a while he tested a technique called trichromy based on the superimposed use of pieces of the 3 primary colors (yellow, magenta and cyan), sealed together with a fourth piece of transparent glass. He tested this technique in the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca and in the monastery of Montserrat, and he was happy with the resulting sensation of depth and volume that the stained glasses achieved.

However, the technique proved to be exceedingly expensive, and for the Sagrada Familia windows he decided to go back to the traditional Gothic technique of leaded glass, where lines of lead hold together the pieces of colored glass. That doesn’t only allow the artist to choose the exact shade of color required for each part of the window, but it also adds rhythm and dynamism to the whole composition. An example of that is the blue stained glass of the Nativity transept, left by Gaudi as an example.

Joan Vila Grau and the Sagrada Familia

4

Who was Joan Vila-Grau?

Joan Vila Grau in his workshop

Joan Vila i Grau (1932-2022) was a painter and stained glass maker from Barcelona who specialized in churches, among other things. He extensively researched the history of stained glass making, and participated in the restoration of numerous medieval windows. In 1999, when he was already known for this contemporary and abstract style, he was offered to design the stained glass windows in Sagrada Familia, to which he devoted the next 20 years.

Photo © Arxiu Família Vila

5

Vila Grau's approach to Gaudi's concept

Joan Vila-Grau listens to the guidelines left by Gaudi and takes them to the 21st century through his contemporary approach. He embraces the leaded technique recommended by the master and excels in it with his exquisite selection of shades and glass textures. The “transparent” upper levels, for instance, are a delicious example of that where he selected 16 different types of white, transparent, translucid, grey and yellow glasses. For the lower levels where maximum color contrast is encouraged, he studies in detail the direction of each window, the inclination and intensity of the light it receives and even how its surroundings affect it, so nothing taints the final effect. The educational symbolism is also preserved, although in a more subtle way, with just the names of sanctuaries and saints written with lead on the stained glasses, rather than being presented in a more figurative way. But again, the board for the construction of la Sagrada Familia was already aware of Vila Grau’s abstract style when they hired them. The result is one of the most beautiful and astonishing ensemble of stained glass in Barcelona and possibly the entire Europe.

6

The Resurrection rose window

Vila Grau's first project for the Sagrada Familia was the rose window of the Resurrection, presiding the transept on the Passion façade end. Compared to the rest of the ensemble, this was the only piece where Gaudi had placed a clear symbolic meaning. Joan Vila Grau captures the essence of the the meaning of the Resurrection: life and light vanquishing over death and darkness.

No one was present at the precise moment of Jesus’ resurrection, so we can only imagine it as an explosion of light. And so this window represents in an abstract way this light fireball. And ironically, despite not being intentional, the lead lines seem to evoke a human figure in the light. Apparently the artist wasn’t displeased by the idea when he was first told about it, but rather enjoyed this unexpected effect.

7

The stained glass in the apse and the naves

If for Gaudi the inside of the church had to look like a forest of stone, Vila Grau sets off to use the colors one will find in the forest: greens and yellows for the leaves, browns for the trunks. And he also applies the colors of the sky at different times of the day, to create the effect of the passing of the hours. He creates a gradient that starts with bright yellows behind the altar, in the apse, and fades into greens and blues in one side, and oranges and reds in the other.

 Every window is different, but there’s a sense of whole that connects everything in a spiritual way. If you want to know when it’s the best time to see them, keep reading.

8

The glass window of the Glory façade

The Glory façade will be the main entrance of la Sagrada Familia. Nowadays mostly an immense concrete wall from the outside, on the inside it already shows the polished stones that configure balconies, grades and spiral staircases. There’s also a large space ready to host one day the giant stained glass of the Glory, but nowadays it’s covered with a shade to filter the excessively strong lights of midday. 

And while the shade is printed with a stained-glass-looking pattern, do not make the mistake of thinking it’s the final design: it’s not, it’s just temporary. Joan Vila Grau did design the stained glass of the Glory in detail before he passed away, however the final design is kept a secret. It’s meant to be a surprise for when the time comes (and they won’t rush it, as the delicate glasses could be damaged if they were set in place before the construction of the façade is completed).

9

The legacy of Joan Vila Grau

Nowadays the legacy of Joan Vila-Grau is preserved by his children, committed to spread to the world the beauty created by their ancestor. The artist workshop, tucked away in the private garden of the family home in the uptown Barcelona, has remained intact: the walls full to the brim with books, personal objects, artistic pieces collected during his trips or gifted by his many intellectual friends.

In this desks you can still see the materials, watercolors, pencils and stationery that he used to create the small-scale prototypes of his designs, that later on would be passed to real size glass. Material samples, notebooks and rolls with sketches are scattered here and there. His family is happy to receive guests that may be interested in knowing more about Joan Vila-Grau. They are also the only ones legally authorized to sell authenticated prints and stained glass designs, and the sales contribute to support their endeavor to preserve the artist’s memory and legacy.

But you won’t find that advertised by tour operators in a “visit the workshop of the great stained glass maker” way. They are discreet and they don’t want to become a mass attraction. Only a few selected people like me have access to them and are able to organize a private visit like that by invitation only. 

Would you like to meet the heirs of the artist at their family vila, learn more about him, see the place where he created and maybe even purchase an authenticated piece to add to your private art collection? Don’t hesitate to contact us so we can arrange it for your next trip to Barcelona.

When is the best time to experience the Sagrada Familia stained glass?

Because of the great care that Vila Grau took studying the effect of sunlight over the windows during the different times of the day and the seasons of the year, I dare say that every moment inside the church is magical. Even from one day to the next, at the same time of the day, it can feel magically different. The only condition is that it's bright enough outside. Unfortunately the weather is hard to predict when you are traveling...

In the morning, the blues and greens of the Nativity side glow brightly, and the best effect is as soon as the church opens, when the sun is still low, and the closest to the Summer solstice (end of June), the better. Even in August before 10AM on a very bright day you may be lucky to spot the effect of the distinct pieces of glass reflecting on the columns like ice shards.  Surprisingly, I’ve also seen a similar effect in one single column during the in the month of March… about two hours before the sunset, when most colors are in the opposite side of the church. The rest of the day the blues and greens tend to be still visible as a glow over the walls and columns, fading sooner in the winter and lasting brighter until much later in the Summer.

The reds and oranges of the Passion side are easier to spot on their full splendor, because the church is open until the sunset. But don't make the mistake many make and believe that sunset time is the best time to see the colors. It's not: the sunlight fades as the exact moment of the sun setting approaches. Arriving right at sunset means the sun rays will be at their weakest time and the colors inside the church will be already fading.

It’s several hours before the sunset that the colors of the stained glasses of the Passion side start reflecting first on the pavement of the church, then slowly creeping up the columns, before reaching the ceilings of the aisle and drawing there a red and orange sunflower.

Again, the weeks around the Winter solstice (Christmas) are the best to see the spectacle, as the sun is setting the closest to the West and the sun rays enter the church almost horizontally, making the colors even reach the other side of the 60m (200ft) wide nave. In the Summer you can still see a similar effect, although the sunrays don’t usually hit all the 5 columns of the aisle (or not for too long) and the colors don’t reach the rest of the nave more than with a soft glow. Still, the rainbow-like effect on this side is mesmerizing any afternoon as long as it’s sunny enough outside.

Bring the essence of the Sagrada Familia windows to your table

Fans of home design that are fascinated about the Sagrada Familia stained glasses shouldn’t miss the opportunity of bringing their vibe home. The Cornet glass makers from Barcelona have a special collection of glassware inspired in the works of Vila Grau. Can you imagine drinking a glass of wine on the sunset, while watching the colors of the sunrays reflect on your drink?

Have you ever seen the Sagrada Familia stained glass inside?

Marta

Author Marta Laurent Veciana

AUTHOR BIO

Marta is the founder of ForeverBarcelona. She is a passionate tour guide that loves Barcelona and loves writing too. She is the main author of our Blog, and is committed to sharing her knowledge about Barcelona and her best tips with our readers.

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Last update on 2025-02-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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