La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is architecture that speaks to the soul. It’s taken me a long time to write this post-visiting, purely because I wanted to digest what I saw. The emotion of this structure felt raw at the time. It actually made me cry. Maybe it was the closet believer within me (after my childhood being spent in Catholic schools) or maybe it was the power of a building that itself feels spiritual. I think probably a little bit of both.
Well it is a church you might say. But, this is so much more than a church. This is a spiritual experience.
I’ve been to Barcelona a few times and gawked over its exterior and the intricacy of the sculptures of figures and religious symbology made up of sandstone, granite and concrete. Never have I attempted to go inside – having been put off by the throngs of tourists and scaffolding (always surrounding it). This structure seems like it will never be finished (building started in 1882 and is projected to finish in approximately another 50 years). But you must brave it and go in.
Walking into La Sagrada Familia I will never forget its vastness and how different it felt to most places of worship. The marble pillars raising up like tree-trunks with bracnches supporting the ceiling- epitomising Gaudi’s affinity with the natural world. The colours of the stained glass with the light entering at the most perfect of angles, giving an otherworldly glow to the interior.
We booked tickets to go to the top of the tower on the nativity facade. This was an excellent choice and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting. Do it properly. Peering through small openings and standing on two-person sized balconies not only gave a stunning view of Barcelona, it also made you feel as though you were living Gaudi’s fairytale. The detail of the facade, doves, plants, crosses, fruits – all the beauty that you would imagine in an institution that believes in heaven after earth.
The spiral staircase winding its way down La Sagrada Familia is not for the faint hearted. It had us clinging to the rails for dear life. But this experience gave a different perspective to the structure. Seeing the choir section and the dramatic height give you a real understanding of why this building is still ongoing and why the people in Barcelona want to see it finished. It’s a work for the ages.
And it’s beautiful.
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