Sagrada Familia: a must-see during your trip to Barcelona
Sagrada Familia, the unfinished masterpiece of Antonio Gaudi, is one of the most visited landmarks of Barcelona, Spain. The construction of this cathedral started in 1882, with Francisco de Paula del Vilar as the architect.
At the end of 1883, Antoni Gaudi was designated to carry on the work as chief architect. From that moment on, the modernist architect dedicated his whole life to the construction of the cathedral.
Gaudi did not follow the original design, but rather he chose to change it in a radical manner according to the neo-gothic style that he developed. When Gaudi died in 1926, the only things that were finished were a facade, a tower and a crypt.
Although Gaudi used to improvise all the time and not many of his sketches remained, modern day architects have a pretty good idea of what Gaudi intended to accomplish. The final version of his project reveals a cathedral of 95 m height and 60 m width.
The huge cathedral will be able to house approximately 13 000 people inside. When Sagrada Familia is completed, it will have no less than eighteen towers. Four towers on each of its three facades will represent the Twelve Apostles.
The tallest tower, which is the symbol for Jesus Christ, will be surrounded by another four smaller towers depicting the four evangelists. The last tower will be on top of the altar and it will symbolize Virgin Mary.
Despite the fact that it is still far from being finished, Sagrada Familia is definitely a site to visit. The crypt where Gaudi is buried can be visited and a museum dedicated to the great life of Antonio Gaudi and the history of the cathedral can be found as well.
Besides that, the other places that are open to visits are the Nave and two of the towers: Passion and Nativity. The only way to get into the towers is by elevator, which has a 2.50 € fee. For the Nave, crypt, museum and shop, there is an entry fee of 12 € for adults and 8 € for children.
The easiest way to get there is by subway: blue line and purple line.
Accommodation is provided by beautiful, conveniently located two, three, four and five star hotels, rates starting from 60 € per night per room. Antibes Hotel, Gran Via Hotel, Gran Havana Hotel and Palace Hotel are the recommended hotels in this area.