Sagrada Família

C/Mallorca 401. (Open Map)
(75)

Description

The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) is a highly acclaimed monument situated in Barcelona, Catalonia, and is often regarded as the symbol of the city. The idea for the church was conceived by bookseller Josep Maria Bocabella, who assigned the project to architect Francisco de Paula del Villar in 1882, before handing it over to the renowned Catalan modernist architect Antoni Gaudí in 1883. Gaudí's primary aim was to create a church with three distinct facades representing the three phases in the life of Jesus: Nativity, Passion and Glory. He sought to combine Christian speech and biblical allegories with complex natural symbols, such as organic and geometric shapes, that are evident in its columns, pinnacles and stained glass windows. The construction of the Sagrada Família has been ongoing since 1882 and has faced numerous obstacles, such as the Spanish Civil War and a lack of funding, but it has become one of the most visited attractions in Spain, with over 4.7 million visitors in 2019. Work on the church resumed after the coronavirus pandemic, but a new estimated completion date has yet to be announced. Despite the unfinished state of the project, the Sagrada Família has been declared a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI, officially recognizing it as a symbol of Barcelona and a masterpiece of Catalan modernism.