Sagrada Familia

The largest unfinished church in the world was worked on for 43 years by its architect Antoni Gaudi. His remains are in the crypt of his famous Sagrada Famila in Barcelona. He died at 73 years old by being hit by a tram while crossing the street to go to confession. It has been reported that he was dressed in simple cloth and his appearance resembled that of a beggar and no one knew the man lying in the street was the most famous architect in Spain. The local taxi drivers refused to take him to the hospital due to his appearance. He had broken ribs, a bruise on his right leg, and internal bleeding that was severe yet no one knew. He was taken to a hospital for the poor because he had no identification and it took his friends three days to find him. He unfortunately died on the third day due to his injuries. This post was going to be all about the church yet I found this information fascinating how we still treat others with sustain today based on appearances. His life may have been saved if the circumstances were different, simply, if he was dressed in fine clothing as the most famous architect could have been. His death is tragic and sad and was in 1926. Please treat others with kindness, always. Back to his life’s work…

The facade of the church had three sides. One was beautiful, colorful, and inviting. One was dark, mysterious, and seemed cold. The last one I am not sure if I recognized at the time of our trip. His three visions were the birth of Christ, the life of Christ, and the death of Christ. More information about the facades can be found here. The beautiful exterior of the church that we saw invited us in and what a wonder we got to behold. I just stood in awe of the sculpted walls, stained glass, and height of the interior. Looking up and touching the columns was a surreal experience. Imagining how early craftsmen worked with scaffolding and ladders amazed me. Wondering what thoughts went through the architect’s mind drove me deep into my own psyche. He truly represented the life and death of Christ. I hope that when he went, on that third day, he felt proud of his accomplishments instead of sad it was unfinished. The inside was ransacked during the Spanish Civil War and later worked on by others to express Gaudi’s vision. It was an amazing site to see.

Just sitting in the church and feeling its warmth and solace was a wonderful experience. Hearing the music play and the watching man at the organ get in touch with the movement was breathtaking. We sat for what felt like hours in silence. I drew a bit and then we explored the church. We saw where the great architect is buried and the beauty of the crypt. I am still in awe of the stained glass and the reflection of color around the interior. I added some photographs for you all here. If you would like to read more information on his death, you can click here. If you would like to see the Sagrada Familia in person, I highly recommend it! Park Guell is visited more often than the church yet Gaudi put his soul into the creation of the Sagrada. What are you passionate about? What sets your soul on fire?

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

-Karen Hilliard

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