Sagrada Família – Roman Catholic church

Sagrada Familia

The Basílica I Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is currently under construction and is on its last stage of construction, it will take them approximately 144 years to complete this masterpiece, it’s a large Roman Catholic church and it will be the tallest religious structure in the world.

The construction of Sagrada Família started in 1882 by architect Francisco Paula de Villar, however, Gaudi took over in 1883 after Francisco resigned as the head architect.

Gaudi transformed the Sagrada Família with his own architectural and engineering style, with the combination of curvilinear Art Nouveau and Gothic forms, however in 1926 Gaudi died, with only a quarter of the project being complete, this is why the Sagrada Família needs to be completed in 2026 to coincide with Gaudi death, as it will be 100 years of his death.

The construction of this is only made possible by Private patrons funded the initial stages and money from tourists is now used to pay for the world, and private donations are accepted through the Friends of the Sagrada Famíliam, No support was made by any government or official church sources.

Sagrada Família inside view

Opening Hours

November to February 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
March 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
April to September 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
October 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
December 25th, 26th & January 1st and 6th 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Information

  • Construction started: 19 March 1882
  • Completed estimation date: 2026-2028
  • Total number of years for it to be completed in 144 Years (estimate)
  • Height: 172 m
  • Number of Towers: 18 towers planned by Gaudí,  However only eight are completed; four on the Nativity facade and four on the Passion facade.
  • Architectural styles: Art Nouveau, Modernisme, Noucentisme, Spanish Gothic architecture
  • Architects: Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, Antoni Gaudí, Lluís Bonet I Garí,  Mark Burry, Domènec Sugrañes I Gras, Francesc Cardoner, Francesc Quintana.

Facts

  • Gaudí disliked straight lines and angles because they don’t often appear naturally. Instead, he based his design on the swirling curves of nature.
  • Gaudí believed that no man-made object should be constructed higher than the work of God. This is why the tower is at 170 meters tall which is one meter less than the highest point in Barcelona, Montjuïc hill.
  • The Sagrada Familia has lights all around it, so at night, it glows a bright yellow/gold colour.
  • Sagrada Familia is the largest tourist attraction in Spain.

Photographs

Sagrada Família building

Sagrada Família inside view

Sagrada Família

Location

Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain