{"id":4176,"date":"2026-03-31T13:45:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T11:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/?p=4176"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:10:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T12:10:39","slug":"meaning-passion-facade-sagrada-familia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/significat-facana-passio-sagrada-familia\/","title":{"rendered":"Passion fa\u00e7ade: a journey through Jesus final days"},"content":{"rendered":"

During Holy Week <\/strong>, the eyes of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia are directed towards the Passion fa\u00e7ade, which remembers Jesus final days, from the Last Supper to his resurrection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antoni Gaud\u00ed\u2019s plans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1911, Antoni Gaud\u00ed fell ill and had to move to Puigcerd\u00e0, a town in the Pyrenees, to recover in a healthier environment than the industrial Barcelona of that time. During this forced convalescence, Gaud\u00ed felt he was on death\u2019s door (he even drew up his will), which along with his reading of Saint John of the Cross, inspired him to design the Passion fa\u00e7ade. The result was various sketches the architect drew in 1:200 scale, which were used as inspiration when work began on the fa\u00e7ade in 1954.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Original drawing of the narthex on the Passion fa\u00e7ade, published in El Propagador in 1917. Credit: Antoni Gaud\u00ed El Propagador<\/em> el 1917. Autor: Antoni Gaud\u00ed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In stark contrast to the joy of the Birth and the explosion of life on the Nativity fa\u00e7ade (with flowers, birds, soft, rounded shapes, the drops and snow), Gaud\u00ed explicitly indicated that this fa\u00e7ade should be \u201charsh and cruel, as if made of bones\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Isidre Puig i Boada explained what this fa\u00e7ade should look like in 'El pensament de Gaud\u00ed':<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abSome may find this fa\u00e7ade too extravagant. But I wanted it to inspire fear, and to do so I used plenty of chiaroscuro, recesses and protrusions, all of which gives it an extremely gloomy effect. What\u2019s more, I\u2019m willing to sacrifice the building itself, to break arches, cut down columns, in order to give people an idea of how bloody the sacrifice is.\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isidre Puig i Boada - El pensament de Gaud\u00ed. Page 200<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Evangelical meaning of the fa\u00e7ade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jesus Christ\u2019s final days and Passion are presented chronologically<\/strong> on the lower narthex of the fa\u00e7ade, in a journey on three levels that begins at the bottom left and carries on upwards in an S-shaped path. Further up, on the pediment, we see the Resurrection, culminating on the top level with the Ascension to Heaven (see infographic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sculpture groups on the lower narthex: key works of Josep Maria Subirachs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After spending a year studying Gaud\u00ed\u2019s drawings, sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs<\/strong>, who passed eleven years ago this 7 April, was chosen to carve the 12 sculpture groups for the Passion fa\u00e7ade. For some time, Subirachs lived in a modest room at the Basilica and dedicated himself fully to his work, just as Gaud\u00ed did towards the end of his life. The figures, in travertine and Floresta sandstone, feature hard, severe lines, at times Brutalist and at others soft, expressing the coarse, even gloomy effect that Gaud\u00ed wanted to represent the pain of the Passion and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Josep Maria Subirachs <\/strong>(Barcelona, 1927\u20132014): was a sculptor, illustrator and engraver. From a Noucentisme style, he evolved towards Expressionism through sharp, angular shapes and exaggerated volumes, which his work is known for. He created the first abstract sculptures displayed in public in Barcelona including the tribute to Francesc Maci\u00e0 in Pla\u00e7a de Catalunya, and devoted himself exclusively to his work on the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia from 1986.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1.\tThe Last Supper<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jesus and the apostles seated around a table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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2.\tArrest of Jesus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A group of armed men go in search of Jesus. In the struggle to keep him from being taken, the apostle Peter cuts off the right ear of the high priest\u2019s servant, which one of the soldiers has in his hand. \nSubirachs carving on the figures in this group is less clear, suggesting the scene took place at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Betrayal of Judas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Judas hugs Jesus and kisses him to signal to the soldiers who to arrest. At the apostle\u2019s feet there is a snake, a reptile that represents earthly imperfection and the lower passions, here a symbol of evil in Judas\u2019 betrayal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4.\tThe flagellation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Five metres tall, this sculpture group stands between the two main doors on this fa\u00e7ade. It expresses the suffering and solitude of Jesus, who stands between Judas, who betrayed him, and Peter, who denied him three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5.\tPeter's denial<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Peter\u2019s body language and facial expression show his shame for having denied his master three times. The apostle is shown wrapped in a sheet and three women stand next to him, representing the three denials. One of them points to him to signal that he is one of Jesus\u2019 disciples. Next to the women is a rooster. \u201cTruly I say to you, today, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times\u201d (Mk 14:30).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. The Ecce Homo (\u201cbehold the man\u201d)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These are the words Pontius Pilate pronounced when publicly presenting Jesus, who is shown with the crown of thorns after being beaten. The Roman governor is seated, deep in thought, struggling with the decision he has to make. Under Jesus\u2019 feet, the stone is cracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7<\/strong>. The judgement of Pilate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The governor washes his hands, while his wife Procula leaves because she believes they are condemning a just man. \nBetween this sculpture group and the previous one, there is a column with a Roman eagle perched on top and the inscription \u201cTiberius, emperor of Rome\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8<\/strong>. Jesus falls before the three Marys<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The three Marys (the Virgin Mary, Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene) cry the first time Jesus falls on the way to Calvary, and Simon of Cyrene helps him lift the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9.\tJesus consoles the women of Jerusalem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The central sculpture group on the middle level depicts the second time Jesus fell on the Via Crucis and his meeting with the women of Jerusalem. One of these women, Veronica, cleans blood from Jesus\u2019 face, which leaves an imprint on the cloth. Carved in low relief, the effigy of Jesus seems to be looking right at the viewer, regardless of where they stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this scene, Subirachs included two tributes to Antoni Gaud\u00ed. On the one hand, the figure of the Evangelist on the left side of the sculpture group reproduces the architect\u2019s face from the Corpus Christi procession in Barcelona. On the other, he imitated the chimneys at Casa Mil\u00e0 in the soldiers helmets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10.\tLonginus on a horse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The soldier\u2019s lance is piercing Jesus\u2019 side on the cross. Afterwards, Longinus converted to Christianity and became a martyr of the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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11<\/strong>. Soldiers throwing dice to win Jesus tunic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12.\tCrucifixion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jesus on the cross. At the Messiah\u2019s feet, Mary Magdalene, kneeling; Mary of Clopas and the Virgin Mary with her face covered, consoled by Saint John. At the base of the cross, a skull symbolises death and the place Christ was crucified (Golgotha means skull in Aramaic), while an open tomb portends the Resurrection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above the group of the Crucifixion, like a baldachin, Subirachs placed bronze plaques to represent the veil at the temple of Jerusalem that, according to the Gospels, was torn in two when Jesus died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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13. Descent from the cross and the entombment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The final scene on the upper level of the lower narthex represents the burial of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (two members of the Sanhedrin, a council of elders in Jerusalem) sadly lay the body of Christ in the tomb. Between them, on her knees looking defeated, the Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pediment: Resurrection and Ascension to Heaven<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Above the lower narthex, on the pediment, Gaud\u00ed designed a gallery of hexagonal prisms (inscribed with the Latin phrase \u201cIesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum\u201d, meaning \u201cJesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews\u201d) supported at one end, on eighteen columns (evocative of bones) and at the other, on a wall adjacent to the towers. On this wall, Subirachs inscribed the names of the individuals sent by God who are walking towards the Resurrected Jesus: Biblical patriarchs on one side (starting with Adam and Eve) and the prophets on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14.\tQuarry and garden<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just behind the sculpture group of the Empty Tomb and in front of the Window of the Resurrection, there is a garden reminiscent of the place where the tomb was dug. In this space of prayer and contemplation, Mediterranean species have been planted, symbolising life after death on the one hand and the typical vegetation of the area, according to the Gospels, on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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15.\tEmpty Tomb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Between the two central columns in the pediment gallery, there is a sculpture group by sculptor Francesc Fajula<\/strong>. It shows an angel sitting on the round stone that covered the entrance to the tomb, announcing the resurrection to Mary Magdalene, Mary (mother of James) and Salome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Francesc Fajula i Pellicer <\/strong>(Sant Joan de les Abadesses, 1945): architect, sculptor and PhD in Fine Arts and expert in heritage sites. He has worked with the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia on several sculpted images, including the Crucifixion on the central altar baldachin, Saint Scholastica in the apse and the Empty Tomb.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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16.<\/strong> The stained-glass window of the Resurrection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The open space in the Empty Tomb contrasts with the colourful stained-glass window by stained-glass artist Joan Vila-Grau<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joan Vila-Grau <\/strong>(Barcelona, 1932-2022): artist who devoted his professional life to painting, ceramics and stained-glass. Interested in the renewal of religious art, he specialised in the historical study of stained-glass windows in Catalonia and in creating contemporary windows. In 1999, he began work on the stained-glass windows for the naves at the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia, which he worked on for over 20 years. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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17.\tCross and angels<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Diferents vistes de la creu del cimazi de la Fa\u00e7ana de la Passi\u00f3.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the centre of the pediment, a 7.5 metre cross weighing 18 tonnes rises up, expressing victory over death, with three angels at its foot praising it. The pieces were sculpted in Italian travertine by sculptor Lau Feliu<\/strong>, and the shape of the group helps further elevate the fa\u00e7ade towards the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lau Feliu i Maspons <\/strong>(Barcelona, 1957): Trained as a painter at Barcelona\u2019s Escola Massana and in sculpture at the workshop of Cinto Casanovas, he combines these disciplines with jewellery, illustration and teaching art. In terms of sculpture, his religious work is particularly noteworthy. He has worked with the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia on the sculpture group that stands with the cross on the cyma, the Lion of Judah, and The sacrificial Lamb of Isaac.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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18.\tHoly Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above the narthex, at the top of the central window on the fa\u00e7ade, we find the Holy Spirit, represented by a dove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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19<\/strong>. The ascension of Jesus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, on the bridge that connects the two central bell towers, we discover the gilded bronze figure of the Ascension of Jesus, also by Subirachs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Descobreix el significat de les escenes de la fa\u00e7ana de la Passi\u00f3 de la Sagrada Fam\u00edlia, la qual rememora els \u00faltims dies de la vida de Jes\u00fas, des del Sant Sopar fins a la seva resurrecci\u00f3.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[115,16,139,57],"class_list":["post-4176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-simbologia","tag-facana-passio","tag-gaudi","tag-sagrada-familia","tag-simbologia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}