Such day as today for 143 years, we started to build the Sagrada Familia. It was on march 19, Saint Joseph, when he placed the first stone in the temple, a ceremony that was attended with all the honours protocol and which was attended by the bishops of Barcelona and Vic, accompanied by several authorities, such as illustrated in an engraving made in the year 1982 for the celebration of the centenary.
But, why this date was chosen for the start of the works? The Association of the Devotees of Saint Joseph, presided over by the bookseller, Josep Maria Bocabella, he commissioned the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, the construction of a temple with the intention to calm the spirits of a society troubled by the changes and the social and economic transformations of the late NINETEENTH century. This goal is seen collecting in the act of foundation of the temple, in which it will rise a church that “wake up " the tebiesa the hearts asleep. Exalci the faith. Give heat to the charity. It contributes that the Lord is apiadi of the country (...)”. This objective was completed, therefore, a date awarded for the Association: on the 19th of march, the day of Saint Joseph.
Since then several openings, events and celebrations in the Basilica have been made to coincide with this date. Below, you can see a chronological axis, which pick up some of them:
Design timeline
1882 – First stone laid
Drawing of the ceremony of the laying of the first stone for the Sagrada Familia is made by Aurora Altisent the year 1982
Reproduction of the founding charter of the laying of the first stone of the Temple on June 19, 1882, made for the inauguration of the museum in the year 1961
1885 – Opening of the chapel of Saint Joseph
Three years after the laying of the first stone, and when the works were already under the direction of Antoni Gaudi, was a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the chapel, the center of the crypt, dedicated to Saint Joseph. On march 19, he was making a solemn mass, the first of which took place in an area already finished the temple, and which was attended by the faithful in the neighborhood and from all over Spain, as recounted in the chronicle of the day published in The Propagator of the devoción de San José, the newsletter published by the Association promoter of the temple to continue its evolution.
Chapel of Saint Joseph in the year 1885. Author: unknown
1932 - 50th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone
The commemoration of fifty years, the Holy Family took place on the day of Saint Joseph of the year 1932, with a liturgical act modest in the crypt oficiat by the Abbot of Montserrat. In a context of social and economic complex in which the donations escassejaven and had accumulated some debts, the Temple took these celebrations to convince the faithful of the need to support the works, as it tells the chronicle of a day in the Propagator.
The Abbot of Montserrat accompanied by the attendees at the celebration of the 50 years of the Sagrada Familia, in the year 1932. Author: The Propagator of the devoción a San José.
1957 – Commemoration of 75th anniversary
To celebrate this milestone was made a solemn mass on the day of Saint Joseph, who counted with the support of religious authorities, political and military of the time, as well as a large presence of neighbors and faithful, as shown in the images file.
Faithful attending the event of the 75th anniversary of the laying of the first stone for the Sagrada Familia in the year 1975. Author: Salvador (left). Josep Brangulí Soler (right)
1958 – Offering the sculpture of the Nativity in front of the façade
On march 19, 1958 it was placed in its location, the sculpture that dominates the façade of the Birth, the sculptor Jaume Busquets. The event was attended by employees of the Bank of Bilbao and their families, who had collected donations to fund the statue.
Offering of the sculpture is the sculpture of Birth in front of the facade in the year 1958. Author: Josep Brangulí Soler
1982 – Celebration of the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone
The 19 of march of the year of the centenary of the Basilica was celebrated with a solemn mass, a performance of the Esbart Dansaire Gaudí and a parade of the giants of Barcelona. Likewise, in the framework of this celebration were organized a number of events throughout the year; such as the presentation of the sculptural group of the Magi at the Nativity façade, the work of Joaquim Ros and a symposium of lectures of dissemination of the project, among others.
Proceedings of the centennial celebration of the first stone on the esplanade of the Temple, in the year 1982. Authors: Horral (left) and unknown (right)
By the centenary will also put on two stone monoliths with a teiera of forging above flanking the grille in front of the entrance of the facade of the Passion, with the inscriptions of the year of the centenary and the start of the construction of the Basilica, which can be seen from the sidewalk of the street. Similarly, from the corner of carrer Mallorca with Sardinia, where entry was gained before the Temple, one can see, although a bit hidden, another monolith is very similar with the registration of 1882 and the badges papal keys and mitra.
One of the two stone monoliths placed on the Passion façade for the centenary.
Monolith that previously welcomed visitors.
2007 - 125th anniversary of the laying of the first stone
The celebration of the 125th anniversary began on 19 march 2007, with the opening of the evening illumination of the facade of the Passion, and an exhibition is informative, which is reproduced map of the nave of the Basilica to the ground and exposed a tripod with sand that simulated the laying of the first stone. The events of the celebration concluded the next year with a solemn mass coinciding with the day of Saint Joseph.
Ceremony of the lighting of the facade of the Passion and the opening of the exhibition in the framework of the celebration of 125 years. Authors: Carlos Collado (left) and Eloi Bonjoch (left)
The coupling of the Holy Family with Saint Joseph, however, is not reflected only through the role that this figure has in the interior of the temple nor the fact that on the 19th of march was the date chosen for the opening parts of the Basilica or to commemorate the anniversaries. This link you can also see in the documents that contained the evolution of construction, which took this date as a reference to evaluate the progress of the works. This can be seen in a map published in the year 1966 in the journal Templo, in which he updated the evolution of the works of the facade of the Passion every two years, but always from march to march.
Map of the evolution of the works on the façade of the Passion, published in march 1966 in the journal Templo.
Faithful to an important date for the Sagrada Familia, today, the day of Saint Joseph, to resume the blog. Divided into five sections (Work, Gaudí, Community, History, and Spirituality), it is a multimedia space
disclosure of the Basilica and you want to get to know their great activity, as well as the people who work there or who have some connection with the work. The dream of Antoni Gaudí is coming true and, on the verge of the centenary of his death, although his final. Join us in the content of this blog and let yourself be carried away by the beauty and the meaning of a temple is unique in the world.
