Things You Can´t Miss at the Sagrada Familia Barcelona

The Sagrada Familia is Gaudi's most famous work; more than 100 years in the making, it is the only great temple that is still under construction today. It is also one of the most visited monuments in Barcelona so, in your list of things to see and do in the city, you can not miss a stop at the beautiful Basilica.

And, despite the fact that it is still under construction, most of the construction is already finished and now you can walk inside without any problems. You just have to make sure you have your ticket to the Sagrada Familia temple and check the Sagrada Familia schedule in advance.

Although I'm sure you're wondering, what will I see on this guided tour of the Sagrada Familia? Is it really worth it? The short answer is: Yes! The longer answer I will tell you below presenting all those elements or spaces to which you must pay attention to marvel at the artwork and ingenuity that for more than a century has taken place in the confines of this space.

The interior of the central nave of the Sagrada Familia is composed of a series of columns whose shape and height are very similar to the trunks of trees in a lush forest. This peculiar shape is not by chance but is born of Gaudí's own evolution as an architect who, over the years, developed a very marked style of his own, which today we call naturalist-modernist.

The particular shape of Gaudí's columns allows him to free himself from the buttresses characteristic of the Gothic style, resulting in a light and slender structure that rises high and elegant to the ceiling. The foundation of this part of the structure began in 1987, by 1997 the lateral vaults were completed and by 2010 the central vault was completed with a major celebration.

Note that, as with other important religious temples, most of the sculptures of the Sagrada Familia are placed directly on the different facades that make up the structure, the most characteristic example of this is the beautiful Cathedral of St. Peter in Venice.

Gaudí considered that adding various sculptural elements to the exterior would help him to attract more attention to his building. Anyway, inside you can find a few sculptures being the most significant: Joseph, Mary, Jesus and Sant Jordi.

The apse was built by Gaudí in 1984. In architectural terms the apse is the part of the church that houses the altar, which makes it one of the most important elements of any religious temple. Contrary to what you might expect, the altar area and the apse in LaSagrada Familia are relatively simple in terms of number of elements, however the symbolism is highly present.

Bordered by chapels and stairs on both sides, when you reach the altar area you will find a light structure whose hollows bathe the basilica with light, on the interior walls you can see a decoration of angels and tears interspersed. The altar located in the center on a raised platform, on it sits a cross with a canopy adorned in turn by numerous vines.

On your visit to the Sagrada Familia take the time to observe the beautiful stained glass windows that make up the interior. Many experts say that if Gaudí were alive this would be, perhaps, one of his favorite elements in the whole temple due to the evident love for the use of color that the architect manifested in his work. The impressive stained glass windows located inside serve to tint the structure with melancholy shades of red, orange, green and bluish light.

Each of the many stained glass windows have been arranged to achieve an ideal balance so that the brightly colored windows are placed at the bottom and the transparent windows at the top; thus efficiently illuminating the interiors and at the same time highlighting the many architectural details and elements placed in the vaulted ceiling of the structure. Magnificent!

Until 2016 the sacristy of the Sagrada Familia was characterized by being a space closed to visitors; however the authorities in charge of the temple have enabled in this place an exhibition under the name Camí de la Litúrgia.

Numerous objects that Gaudí himself designed for the moment of the liturgy are exhibited here; the collection is made up of 100% original objects by talented artists but also quite faithful copies.

Among the most outstanding are a tenebrarium made of wrought iron, the two-foot candelabrum, three stools, a chair, a throne and two kneelers. Finally, there are two closets, one of them used to keep the liturgical vestments that are worn in the celebrations of the word and the second to store liturgical objects.

Although the work is still under construction, some of the towers of the Sagrada Familia are already enabled for public access. I highly recommend you take the tour, as from this location you get stunning views of Barcelona but you will also be able to see from a short distance many sculptural details of the exterior of the facade.

It is good to keep in mind that the original project of the Sagrada Familia contemplated the construction of 18 towers in total; 12 of them dedicated to the 12 apostles, 4 to the four evangelists and finally one each to the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The tallest tower will be the tower of Jesus with an impressive 172.5 meters, thus becoming the tallest church in the world.

If you really want to understand the creative process behind the design of La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's construction technique and the history of the church itself, be sure to visit the small museum inside the Sagrada Familia. This space exhibits a collection of fantastic models made by Gaudí and the members of his studio to draw up the plans and structural analysis that would allow the ambitious project to be built.

The museum is located next to the crypt, the same space that Gaudí used as a studio and where he worked until the day of his death.

It is important to remember that in 1880 architects did not have sophisticated computer software to study and visualize their ideas, so models were an essential resource when developing even the smallest project. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936, Gaudí's studio was looted and burned, and the models were also destroyed; once the conflict was over, the architect's collaborators and friends gathered the remains and set about reassembling the destroyed models. This act of vandalism meant important delays in the work in the following years.

The Crypt of the Sagrada Familia is a subway chapel located just below the apse, was the first place of the temple to be opened for worship and one of the few spaces that Gaudí could see finished before his death. The remains of the famous Catalan architect were buried here after his sudden and tragic death.

The crypt space presents a very different architectural style from the rest of the work, the reason is that in this part of the church Gaudí made no significant changes, maintaining almost entirely the neo-Gothic style design that the first architect of the project, Francisco del Villar, had proposed for the whole church.

Gaudí's only modifications were to the location of the altar and the staircase, as well as openings to improve lighting and ventilation. It is worth taking a look at this space to see the contrast between what the Sagrada Familia could have been if the initial ideas had been followed and if Gaudí's creative restlessness had not intervened.

"A jewel embedded in a jewel box" is the phrase that has been used to describe the beautiful 1896 organ inside the Sagrada Familia. It is located in the crypt, very close to Gaudi's tomb.

Built by the French firm Cavaillé-Coll, it is considered one of the best examples of romantic style in the world; the wonderful piece of art consists of two bodies, three keyboards and a total of 1492 pipes. It has a total of 26 different types of sound combinations and after some renovations computers have been placed inside that memorize combinations of registers so that the instrument can be played without the presence of an organist.

Although it does not correspond to an interior detail, it is impossible to visit La Sagrada Familia without taking some time to admire its imposing facades composed of numerous towers filled with intricate details.

Nativity façade

The only part of the temple's façade that Gaudí was able to build before his sudden death, this important façade is dedicated to the birth of Christ and is the most detailed. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the façade design the structure is composed of four imposing bell tower type towers.

The artists and sculptors whose works can be viewed on the Nativity façade are creations of renowned figures such as: Llorenc Matamala i Piñol, Carles Mani i Roig and Jaume Busquets.

Façade of the Gloria

The Gloria façade located on Mallorca Street is the most recent of the three and is dedicated to the Glory of Jesus. Of the design of this façade Gaudí only left a structural study and a symbolic plan with initial ideas; the digital architectural models as well as some specialized software have been of great help to complete the initial idea.

Passion Façade

Located on Sardenya street and facing west is the façade that represents the passion and death of Jesus. Compared to the others it has a slightly more austere appearance, with fewer elements and sharp geometric shapes. The most striking element is possibly the portico composed of 6 inclined columns that support the cornice. On this facade are also the sculptures of Subirachs.