The Artsy Holy La Sagrada Familia

I know I have not been blogging much lately. I was being attacked by flu bug and then later, lazy bug. I was coughing and wheezing in my bed, like some old woman in the brink of death. It was awful but glad that I am recovering.

Anyway, I shall continue posting on my Barcelona trip, after a few interruptions.

You will probably hear and see Gaudi everywhere you go in Barcelona or Spain. He was famous and still is, despite he is buried six feet under since 1926. One of his famous masterpieces is La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church in Barcelona.

Much to my surprise, the church is still under construction and set to complete by 2026. It was only 15-25% completed by the time of his own death. The construction works were interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936, where parts of the unfinished building were destroyed by Catalan anarchists and the present design is based on reconstructed versions (with modern adaptations) of the plans that were burned in a fire.

La Sagrada Familia is under construction and this is taken in December 2011.

Its facade has a lot of decorative details and some sort of storyboard along the walls. I haven't found another Catholic church that has a slight resemblance of La Sagrada. Simply impressive.

It is no wonder Gaudi created such a huge name for himself. His designs and ideas are by far the most unique I have come across. Most of his designs are magically harmonized with the nature.

As you can see from its interior, the structure of the building reflects the shape of tree branches.
It somewhat makes you feel as though you were walking into a huge tree that has a secluded church.

What I really like about cathedrals and churches is the coloured or stained glass on the windows. It gives life to the loving and holy atmosphere of the sacred place.

If my memory serves me correctly, you could take an elevator into the higher levels of the building, with a fee. A guided tour is also recommended if you are keen to know the history and story of Gaudi and La Sagrada, although you will find snippets of explanation on the walls in the museum.

Apparently, the construction of Gaudi's brainchild is not funded by the government or any official church sources. It draws fund from the purchase of visitor tickets and private donations. That explains why the ticket price is rather pricey but it certainly is worthy.

And if the circumstance permits, I would love to see the completed version of La Sagrada, which is 13 years from now.