KEY SAGRADA FAMÍLIA DATES
1. 1882
The first stone of the Sagrada Família is officially laid, with architect Francesc del Villar heading the project. Villar soon resigns after disagreements with the church’s religious founders.
2. 1883
The young, up-and-coming Antoni Gaudí is commissioned as the principal architect. He goes on to devote the next 40 years of his life to the project: by the end he even lives on the premises.
3. 1889
The church crypt is completed, ringed by a series of chapels, one of which is later to house Gaudí’s tomb.
4. 1904
The final touches are made to the Nativity Façade, which depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph amid a chorus of angels.
Stained-glass windows in the apse
5. 1925
The first of the 18 planned bell towers, measuring 100 m (328 ft) in height, is finished.
6. 1926
On 10 June, Gaudí is killed by a tram while crossing the street near his beloved church. No one recognizes the city’s most famous architect.
7. 1936
The military uprising and the advent of the Spanish Civil War brings construction of the Sagrada Família to a halt for some 20 years. During this period, Gaudí’s studio and the crypt in the Sagrada Família are burned by revolutionaries, who despise the Catholic church for siding with the nationalists.
8. 1987–1990
Sculptor and painter Josep Maria Subirachs (b.1927) takes to living in the Sagrada Família just as his famous predecessor did. Subirachs completes the statuary of the Passion Façade. His angular, severe and striking sculptures draw both criticism and praise.
Sculpture, Passion Façade
9. 2000
On 31 December, the nave is at long last declared complete.
10. 2010–2026
The central nave of the church is complete, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated it as a basilica. The Sagrada Família is to be completed by 2026. The construction, as Gaudí intended, relies on donations. With so many visitors pouring in daily, work is gaining momentum. The Lion of Judah, among other things, was added to the Passion Façade in 2018, marking its completion.
ANTONI GAUDÍ
A flag bearer for the Modernista movement of the late 19th century, Antoni Gaudí is Barcelona’s most famous architect. A strong Catalan nationalist and a devout Catholic, he led an almost monastic life, consumed by his architectural vision and living in virtual poverty for most of his life. In 2003 the Vatican opened the beatification process for Gaudí, which is the first step towards declaring his sainthood. Gaudí’s extraordinary legacy dominates the architectural map of Barcelona. His name itself comes from the Catalan verb gaudir, meaning “to enjoy”, and an enormous sense of exuberance and playfulness pervades his work. As was characteristic of Modernisme, nature prevails, not only in the decorative motifs, but also in the very structure of Gaudí’s buildings. His highly innovative style is also characterized by intricate wrought-iron gates and balconies and trencadís tiling.
Gaudí (1852–1926)
TOP 10 GAUDÍ SIGHTS IN BARCELONA
1. Sagrada Família
2. La Pedrera (1910)
3. Parc Güell (1900)
4. Casa Batlló (1905)
Casa Batlló’s many chimneys are adorned with tiled designs. These usually unremarkable parts of a building have become Gaudí’s whimsical trademark.
5. Palau Güell (1890)
6. Torre Bellesguard (1875)
7. Finca Güell (1887)
8. Casa Calvet (1899)
9. Colegio Teresiano (1890)
10. Casa Vicens (1885)
