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Last night in this space, Steven Payne gave us an excellent historical review of Chartres Cathedral, located near Paris. Tonight, I have shamelessly borrowed the theme, this time visiting La Sagrada Familia, in the heart of Barcelona.
My partner and I were first there in September 2009, during a mere pit stop in Barcelona along the way of a Mediterranean tour. Our organized tour group was only at the site of La Sagrada Familia for an hour or so; here is one of the first shots I took of the building:
[Note: these images are all hosted on flickr. You can right-click on an image and open it in a new tab in your browser, to get a higher-resolution look.]
The first thing you notice is that it's a construction site. When you get in for a closer look, you might think you're looking into the maw of some giant sea monster from an over-the-top horror movie. The detailing on the exterior makes this building one of a kind, without a doubt.
Construction began in 1882, but by the end of the following year, the project was taken over by the architect Antoni Gaudi, whose name is pretty much synonymous with La Sagrada Familia. It is his grand design that shapes the building, and was his life's work until his death in 1926. Construction has been ongoing since then, often at a snail's pace, and the building is estimated to be finally complete somewhere around 2026. There have been some setbacks along the way.
The building was damaged by fire during the Spanish Civil War, which started in 1936. Revolutionaries also destroyed Gaudi's workshop, along with the original drawings and models of the cathedral. After the war, some of the smashed models were reconstructed, so that construction of the building itself could continue much as Gaudi had wished. A number of milestones for the exterior facades, as well as the interior, have been reached in the years since 2000. With another decade or so of construction still ahead, that's a long haul. The milestone completion date of 2026, if achieved, will be the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.
In November 2010, Pope Benedict consecrated La Sagrada Familia, and proclaimed it to be a minor basilica. In the Roman Catholic church hierarchy, that's somewhat of a step up from a mere Cathedral.
On our first visit in late 2009, portions of the interior still looked like a construction site:
Scaffolding, and curtains to guard against falling objects, were everywhere.
Some of the windows were finished with intricate stained glass; others were filled in with what I presumed would be temporary glass, to be replaced later.
Fast-forward to May, 2014. We returned to Barcelona, but this time staying in the city for a couple of days rather than a handful of hours.
Indeed, things had progressed somewhat in 4 1/2 years or so. And it looks magnificent.
From the outside, you can still see there is lots of work being done, and still to be done.
Since we had plenty of time on this visit, and we had planned ahead, we actually booked two tours: the main floor of the basilica, as well as a separate visit to one of the towers. An elevator takes you up to about the level where the white construction wrapper begins in the photo above. You can then look out the narrow windows for a close-up view of the work in progress.
And from another angle, look down on the beautiful city of Barcelona below.
The steps inside the tower are steep and narrow. Those suffering from claustrophobia should probably avoid this part of the tour.
And how about this view, the beautiful lines of the tower interior.
Partner and I don't feel any sort of religious attachment to these European cathedrals and basilicas. But we can't help but marvel at the beauty of the structures.
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December 20, 2014
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December 20, 2014
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