La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia is Gaudy's masterpiece. And it is incredible. The basilica is scheduled to be completed in ten years, just in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudy's death in 2026. The basilica was dedicated a few years ago, and is already the tallest church in the world, though the next ten years of construction will add about 30% to the total height.

Although the church is absolutely massive, every (completed) detail is perfect. There are even tiny bugs sculpted into the doors, representing various Christian traits (humility, patience, diligence, etc). 

This is the model of the completed church. As you can see, there's still much to be built. The construction has been slow, since in Gaudy's time, certain aspects of the construction were impossible. However, as technological and architectural advances have been made since its groundbreaking, several of the structural problems have been solved. It's also been slow since this church has not been funded by the state, the city, or even the Catholic church, rather having relied on donations alone.

 The stained glass is beautiful. It was all produced in factories that still create stained glass using the same techniques as were used during the Renaissance. It's some of the highest quality glass in the world. The scenes are all modern expressionist representations, and are very different from anything I've seen before.

There's no way to properly convey how massive the church is. This ceiling is still not even the height of what's been completed. Above it is a concert hall and ceremonial chapel inaugurated by the Pope in 2010.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the pillars branch at the top like towering trees, and the outside walls and columns are ever so slightly inclined, like a mountainside. 

On the entrance side of the church, triumphant scenes from Christ's life and the annunciation, as well as parts of Revelation and the final judgment burst from the walls with life. On the opposite side, however, the major scenes are from the Passion. Much more angled, utilitarian sculpting was used to symbolize and emphasize Christ's agony.

The Sagrada Familia is probably the most amazing thing I've seen this entire trip. It's absolutely beautiful, and I am even more impressed by Gaudy's vision and attention to detail. I hope I'm able to find my way back once the church is complete!