We had a camping holiday in Ribes de Freser in Catalonia at the base of the Spanish Pyrenees. I have wanted to visit Barcelona for several years and since the town we were in was on a direct rail route to Barcelona we decided to take a day of from walking the mountains and visit. The Train took us about 2 hours to get to Barcelona where we decided to visit the Sagrada Familia.
The Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic temple dedicated to the holy family, not a cathedral but it is very cathedral like. The Associació Espiritual de Devots de Sant Josep promoted the building of this temple followers bought a large piece of land and on St Joseph's day in 1882 the first stone was laid. There were disagreements with the first architect who then gave his notice and Gaudi his assistant became the architect.
Antoni Gaudi was born in June 1852; he was not a well child suffering from rheumatism he spends many hours at home studying nature. Gaudi became an architect student in Barcelona. There are many examples of Gaudi's work in Barcelona as well as the unfinished Sadrida familia With the temple still unfinished Gaudi dies in 1926 at the age of 31, He is buried in the crypt in the Sacrada familia. . In the civil war 1936-1939 a lot of the work was damaged Architects and stone masons have yet to complete the temple. They estimate it will take another 20+ years to finish now.
Originally the site for the sagrada familia was in a field a mile or two from the centre of Barcelona now it is very central as Barcelona has grown. We walked a long way to the Sagrada familia from the train station it was hot. If you are going there is a bus route that goes to the temple, but we decided to walk as that way we would get a better feel of Barcelona, mmm, wish I had caught the bus. I felt the pavements and my sore feet.
Reaching the temple we were wowed the architecture was stunning, the 8 towers rising into the sky, the shapes the design the stonework stupendous. .
We had to queue a while to get in and had to pay 8 euros to get in. but it was not too bad waiting in the sun. When you are inside the building there are boards with information about the work and design. Gaudi got a lot of his inspiration from nature. the pillars looking very much as if they are tree trunks branching out at the top, they stone work is fantastic everywhere you look is full of small detail it really is a grand place .
The Sagrada familia is the most visited place in Barcelona if you go to Barcelona you must visit. I am glad I did. As well as the temple building to revel in there is a small museum with details of the history and construction. There is a model to show what the finished building will be like. If I am still alive when it is completed should love to visit. Probably if I visit the Barcelona area of Spain before it is complete I will visit again. I hope you like my pictures of the building . If you wish further info on the Sagrada familia go to http://www.sagrada familia.org/ the official site .
Pictures of Sagrada Família (Barcelona)
its a temple
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Hello Mummsymary. This was Informative and very interesting. From the photo the spires look more like metal than stone. I would like to visit barcelona someday. take care Chrissie x
Allyalcock 10.11.2006 13:57
Sounds and looks wonderful - great review, Alison xx
Sal4Mike 09.11.2006 22:34
Sounds a lovely place. Nice review. lovely piccies! tc x Sal x
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Nov 7th, 2006
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