The Unfinished Masterpiece

Barcelona is more than just the second largest city in Spain with great weather and delicious Sangria. I learned that Barcelona began as a Roman city that houses an enormous amount of history, which is reflected in the ancient churches, streets, and buildings that can be found throughout the city. Barcelona has a strong Catalan cultural heritage especially seen through the architectural work of Antoni Gaudi.

Gaudi’s works is considered the leading cultural attraction of the city of Barcelona. I had the opportunity to visit the Park Guell a beautiful garden with architectural elements, which was designed by Gaudi. I enjoyed visiting the park so much that when I was released from the group study and was able to travel the city with my friends, we decided to go back and explore the park a little more. I noticed that the mosaic style of work brought color and life to the park and the architectural elements used to build the park seemed to flow right into nature and the environment in which it was built. Not only was the architecture amazing, but I also had the chance to see the incredible view of the city for a second time. It was breathtaking to see so many diverse views from one spot. The crystal blue Mediterranean Sea, the rugged mountains, and La Sagrada Familia. When I saw the amazing church towering over the city of Barcelona, I knew I had to visit this national symbol.


My friends and I were very excited to finally see the church up close. We hopped on the metro and when we arrived at our stop, Sagrada Familia, we walked up the steps not knowing how far we would have to walk to get to the church. Our mouths dropped to the ground in surprise, because sitting in front of us was a massive church that towered over the town almost touching the clouds in the sky. When we crossed the street and stood in front of the church we impressed by how many details there were on every inch of the enormous structure. It was interesting to see that hundreds of workers were working hard to finish the project that had begun in 1882. After snapping several pictures on the outside of the church, we decided to get in line to buy tickets to see the inside of the church. On the back of the ten-dollar ticket it said, “thank you for your help in building the church”. I decided to find a brochure to see if I could learn more about the church.

La Sagrada Familia is more than just a church. On March 19, 1882 the architect Francisco de Paula del Vilar began the project, which was privately funded by the Roman Catholic Church. Within a year, Gaudi was asked to take over the project. Gaudi completely changed the original direction of the church, which was to be a simple and traditional style, to express his deep religious beliefs and feelings of nationalism. He devoted 40 years to this project, which only ended with his death in 1926.

It is amazing that today the church is still being built, modeling the original ideas and architecture of Gaudi and should be finished some time soon in the 21st century. La Sagrada Familia has always been an expiatory church, which means that since the beginning the church has been built from donations. Gaudi said, “ The expiatory church of La Sagrada Familia is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work that is in the hands of God and the will of the people”. I also learned that the spectacular architecture created by Gaudi was built to tell the story of the Catholic faith. There are eighteen bell towers, which represent Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the four evangelists and the twelve apostles. The interior was breath taking. We were only able to see certain parts of the church because of all of the construction. I stood inside for a very long time and still did not have enough time to see everything. I tried to make sense of all of the intricate details in the walls, on the ceiling and on the objects that filled the church. I was expecting to see a finished interior in the part we were able to see. To my surprise, there were still noisy machines that created dust and sparks and very loud noises that echoed in the church. I was astonished to learn that the completion of this church is not expected for between 30 and 80 more years. There is controversy about the construction of the Sagrada Familia. Some people believe that Gaudi would not approve of the materials used today. When visiting the site, I did notice a difference in the color of the stone used in the front versus the back of the building. I guess that can be expected for a project that spans centuries!

Today the church has become a universal symbol of identity for the people not only of Barcelona, but for the entire country. Gaudi did not want to build another Gothic cathedral. He went beyond this style and formed a whole new type of architecture with branched columns that look like trees and a roof of stone that would give the church a longer life. I hope to have the opportunity to visit Barcelona once the Sagrada Familia has been completed. The magnificent architectural structure is a must-see when visiting Barcelona. For more information check out the website below for more history, ticket prices, and even make a donation so you can help finish this amazing piece of architecture.
http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/