Sagrada Familia History

Commonly known as the Sagrada Familia, the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is a Roman-Catholic church situated in Barcelona, Spain. The Sagrada Familia history dates back to 1874 when the attraction was still under construction. It was during this time that the local organization started campaigning for the erection of the church, thereby paying tribute to the Holy Family. After the complete planning and creation of plans, the foundation of the church’s cornerstone was laid on 19th March 1882.

In 1882, the architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, was the supervisor of the construction of Sagrada Familia initially. But, the creative differences led to the replacement of Lozano with Antoni Gaudi. Although the designs of Lozano focused on the neo-Gothic style, Gaudi reworked the entire plan and concentrated it more on modernist creation. He had designed the architecture of Sagrada Familia in such a way that no one has ever seen a structure like it in the entire world.

Gaudi completed the sketches of the basilica by 1923 and the first tower of the church on the Nativity Facade was completed in 1925. Unfortunately, it was the only facade that Gaudi could see in his life as he passed away on 10th June 1926. After that, more than five generations of architects and builders put their hard work for over a century to complete the creation of Gaudi.

Several parts of Gaudi’s plan and ideas were ruined by the fire induced by the anarchists in 1936. The architects worked tirelessly on the plan to bring the idea of Gaudi’s work to life and the official consecration of the church was conducted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. Therefore, the Sagrada Familia has a rich history that shows the dedication of humans to God, i.e., the dedication of the architect to Jesus Christ.

Sagrada Familia Facts

The construction in the history of Sagrada Familia used to be the site of a school for the children of the construction workers.
The dead body of the architect, Antoni Gaudi, is buried in the Sagrada Familia itself.
This architectural masterpiece has been under construction for more than a century.
Sagrada Familia is the tallest religious building in entire Europe as Gaudi believed that no other construction should be higher than the work of God.
The designs of Sagrada Familia took inspiration from nature as you will find the sculptures of trees, plants, animals, and figures from all angles of the architecture.
You will find a collection of faces from the death masks of deceased Barcelona citizens and builders sculpted within the stone of Sagrada Familia.
The stairs at both sides of the altar include upward movements that signify the connection between the earth and heaven in the Sagrada Familia history.
There are four towers in the outside facades of Sagrada Familia representing the twelve apostles.

Sagrada Familia Architecture

The Sagrada Familia has a unique architectural blend of Catalan Modernism, Art Nouveau, Catalan Noucentisme, and Spanish Late Gothic designs. Although the construction of the Sagrada Familia started during the time of Art Nouveau, the architect, Antoni Gaudi was responsible for bringing the Art Nouveau style as the surface decoration much before its usual application.

As far as the existence of the Sagrada Familia is concerned, it was not meant to be constructed as a cathedral. The history of Sagrada Familia states that the construction was initiated to make it a school for the children of construction workers. Considered to have a shorter width than other cathedrals in Europe, the attraction attributes a complicated melody of parts, like three portals, several steeples, double aisles, towers, and an ambulatory with seven apsidal chapels.

The interesting things that you can observe in the Sagrada Familia are the ornament and the structure. Another thing that you should not miss catching a glimpse of in the Sagrada Familia is its interiors. The interiors of Sagrada Familia are the enclosed passages that create a rectangle around the church and move through the narthex of the three portals. You will even not find the church bragging about the exact angles inside or outside the church.

The parts of Sagrada Familia open to the public resemble a majestic castle just like in the fairytale. You will also discover the bright stained glass windows covered by excessive columns and intricately carved ceilings.