La Sagrada Familia

October 14, 2010

            One thing you absolutely cannot miss while in Barcelona is Gaudi’s most amazing work, La Sagrada Familia. Coming from a Catholic mother, I had heard much about this piece of work and the time and detail that has gone into it, but it is something you cannot fully understand or appreciate until you have actually experienced it. When I first saw La Sagrada Familia I was completely awestruck. With its vast towers reaching toward the sky to every last bit of detail, especially on the Nativity façade, to the view from the top looking down at all the people who look like little ants, I cannot decide which is more amazing. After getting a tour of the inside and out, I had a much better understanding and an undying appreciation for Gaudi’s work and how he thought out every single detail. I love nature, so to see this being applied to the entirety really stuck out to me. One of my favorite things is upon walking in, you feel like your in a forest with huge trees above and animals and life all around you, which was exactly his purpose. The diversity, from the Gothic style of the Nativity façade to the modern style of the Passion façade, has never been tested or done before, and he perfected it. Going up to the top was also a great experience and well worth the hour wait in line. It was really neat to look down the spiraling stairwell from the top and see spiral after spiral to really get a good feel for how high up we were. Another thing I really like about it is the use of color. Outside, there are very colorful fruit at the top of some of the smaller towers which really stand out, and inside there are stained- glass windows which really bring so much light and color into the main church. His mix of styles, detail, color, nature and, of course, the vastness of it all really make it a must- see in one’s lifetime, and I’m glad to have checked that one off!