Episode 11: Sagrada Família

Tickets for Sagrada Familia: Priority EntranceThe Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada (Expiatory Church of the Holy Family) is Antonio Gaudí’s most important work, to which he dedicated the last fifteen years of his life entirely. It is also the most visited monument in Spain. The construction of this Basilica began at the end of the 19th century, and work still, as of 2014, continues. The main reason is that the construction is an expiatory church, meaning that it is built from donations. This makes it difficult to set a completion date for the Sagrada Familia. Of its current appearance, Gaudí only managed to build the Nativity façade and the crypt, but the architect was well aware that he would not finish the whole temple project, and therefore organized the construction so that it could be completed following his ideas. Among the most striking features of the exterior of this temple are its façades, which are given the names of the Nativity Façade, the Passion Façade and the Glory Façade, and the towers with their pinnacles. The Nativity Façade faces the northeast and is dedicated to the birth of Christ, It features lush decoration where all of its elements evoke life. It is divided into three porticos in honor of the theological virtues of Hope, which is the biggest of the three porticos dedicated to Jesus, on the left-hand side; Faith, located to the right and dedicated to the Virgin Mary; and finally Charity, located in the center and dedicated to Saint Joseph. This façade also includes the Door of Jesus and is finished with the Tree of Life.Photo Sagrada Familia 01 by Bernard Gagnon is licensed under  CC BY-SA 3.0