The feast of Saint Joseph is an important day for the Sagrada Família for several reasons. Firstly, because it was the Asociación Espiritual de Devotos de San José that initially promoted the idea of building a temple in Barcelona devoted to the Holy Family. In addition, the cornerstone of the Temple was laid on 19 …
Continue reading » “Saint Joseph, noteworthy presence on the Nativity façade”
The tower of the Virgin Mary, over the Temple apse, currently stands 110.65 metres tall and will be 138 when complete. It has eighteen levels of tensioned-stone panels already in place and construction will soon begin on its pinnacle. At the same time, the finishing touches have to be put on the rest of this …
Continue reading » “Pinnacles on the apse pediment: fruit of the Virgin Mary”
Since the beginning of October, visitors to the Sagrada Família have been able to enjoy the portal of the Rosary, a small architectural gem that Gaudí left finished in 1897 to serve as a guide for those who would continue the project after he was gone. This is particularly important for the Technical Office, which …
Continue reading » “Discovering the Sagrada Família: the portal of the Rosary”
The pinnacles, which are the top section of the towers, are always the most eye-catching, given their host of colours and symbolic elements. And the pinnacles on the towers of the Evangelists, which are modelled after the bell towers on the Nativity and Passion façades, are no exception. In fact, the fourth Temple album includes …
Continue reading » “The pinnacles of the Evangelists: the symbolism of the tetramorph”
Now that the six central towers are growing at the same pace, which is quite fast thanks in part to the tensioned-stone building technique, the time has come to talk about what will go on top of them. Blog readers already know that the pinnacle of the tower of Jesus Christ will be a four-armed …
Continue reading » “The Evangelists: how they are, and will be, represented at the Sagrada Família”
Labyrinths are known to have existed since prehistory, as well as in most cultures of antiquity. They were worn as amulets or engraved in stone to ward off evil spirits, which were believed to get lost inside and not be able to find the victim. Plus, around the world, there are many churches with a …
Continue reading » “Why is there a labyrinth at the entrance to the Sagrada Família?”
At the Sagrada Família, there are many spaces and details that visitors can’t often see, whether because they are very high up and far from the street, or because they are hidden or in areas only accessible to authorised personnel. This is the case of the loges behind the sculpture groups on the Nativity façade. …
Continue reading » “Discovering the Sagrada Família: the window in the loge of the Coronation”
The feast of the Immaculate Conception, on 8 December, reminds us that we are in Advent from the Sunday of Christ the King, celebrating the end of one liturgical year and the beginning of another. With Advent, preparations begin again for the arrival of the Messiah on Christmas, lighting a candle each of the four …
Continue reading » “The Virgin Mary, the other protagonist of the Sagrada Família”
New Year’s Eve, a festivity held round the world, wasn’t always celebrated on 31 December. In Roman times, the year began in March, which is why September, October, November and December have names derived from the fact that they were the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months of the year. The liturgical year, however, starts …
Continue reading » “The columns and the liturgical calendar: study of an association”
After the seven weeks of Eastertide, meaning the fifty days from Easter or Resurrection Monday to Pentecost Monday, we wanted to turn to the baldachin on the main altar, inaugurated in 2010 with the consecration of the Basilica and the clearest representation of the Holy Spirit inside the Temple. Pentecost literally means fifty days and …
Continue reading » “The baldachin: representation of the Holy Spirit at the Sagrada Família”
