A place travelers can visit Sagrada Família

Reviews: Sagrada Família

General description: Sagrada Família

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The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família more commonly known as the Sagrada Familiais a Roman Catholic Church in the center of Barcelona, designed by Gaudí.
 
Gaudí's Art, Architecture and Controversy
The Expiatory Church of the Holy Family with its giant, parabolic towers twisting towards heaven, is a Modernist symbol and a world-famous Barcelona landmark. Antoni Gaudí spent four decades working on his uncompleted masterpiece and legacy, and the last twelve years of his life were dedicated entirely to it. When he died in 1926 he had completed only the apse, one of the towers, the Neo-Gothic crypt and the east façade (Nativity façade) dedicated to the birth of Christ. Since then, work on this church has continued, financely by donations and entrance fees alone. Gaudí himself saw this mammoth church in the tradition of medieval cathedrals whose completion took generations. However, what was added after Gaudí's death remains controversial: there is no trace of Gaudí's daring imagination and genius, of the incredible symbolic power of each of the cathedral's architectural elements, inspired by nature, religion and mysticism. Gaudí described his work as a "sermon in stone". Since his working method involved constant experimentation, there are virtually no original drawings of how the building was supposed to look. There is considerable controversy around the latest sculptures by Josep Maria Subirach on the Passion façade (north side) which are kitschy and clichéd imitation rather than art.
 
Visiting the Sagrada Família
Visitors can get up to the top of this splendid church via dizzying spiral staircases (400 stone steps) or with a state-of-the-art lift. It is also beautiful just to walk around the outside or admire the stunning interior.
www.sagradafamilia.org

Opening times
Oct - Mar: 9am - 6pm
Apr - Sept: 9am - 8pm
 
Entrance Fees (Goes towards completing the church)
Normal: €12.50
Special (retired, student, under 18): €10.50
Sagrada Família + Gaudí House-Museum combined tickets available.

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• Gaudí's sacred masterpiece is Barcelona's most famous building site.
  

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