Sagrada Familia Review

Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi - Barcelona, Spain

Located in the city center: Use Metro for easy access - Blue Line Sagrada Familia stop. April - Sept. hours: 9am-8pm; Oct. - March: 9am-6pm.

 www.sagradafamilia.org

My view of the famous church:

First I must say that anyone who ventures to Spain MUST go to Barcelona to check out all of Gaudi's work. Sagrada Familia is probably the most widely-known, unconventional church in Europe. The Barcelona metro trains, which are the easiest and most cost effective way to travel in the city, stop right at the Sagrada Familia. So visitors can hop on the blue line for 2 Euros and reach the church with no problem. You can pay the 8 Euros to enter the church or appreciate the views from the outside for free like I did! I read several reviews myself before visiting and read that entering the church is not all that worth the 8 Euros. There is still a ton of interior and exterior construction going on so most of the inside is just museum-ish items showing photos of work in progress over the years.

Okay, so here's the historical rundown... Gaudi was contracted to build the church for the Sagrada family back in 1883. The site became his life's passion for over 16 years until his tragic death. He is buried in the crypt inside Sagrada Familia. At the time of Gaudi's death, only one of the four towers had been completed. There is still much work to be done so the city of Barcelona continues to finance the construction until the day it is finally completed. This is why my photos include crane's and ladders attached to the church because it is still a fantastic work in progress. You can distinguish the very old sections from the newly built sections of the church by the variance in color. Of course the older facades are worn and dark compared to the lighter, cleaner recent additions.

You will see at the top of the church, eight of the planned twelve spires are completed - one spire for each apostle. The spires are made of Venetian mosaics which are extravagant and colorful as all Gaudi designs. Since Gaudi's death, several other talented architects helped continue the work of the Sagrada Familia. Francesc de Paula Villar i Lozano designed the crypt in 1882. Artist Josep Maria Subirachs designed the "Passion Facade" of Jesus's crucifixion that adorns the entrance in the early 1980s.

I feel Barcelona's decision to continue construction after all these years truly shows their love for Gaudi and his work. There's a strong sense of dedication and passion to finish even though the costs must be very expensive.

If you choose to bypass the entrance fee just make sure to roam around the entire perimeter of the church. There are two small parks on both sides of the church that have kiosks with souvineers and snacks. There is also a pond surrounded by trees that offer park benches for lounging and excellent views of the church for picture taking! I sat on a bench and peacefully read a book for while after snapping photos. There are many restaurants and shops all around the area... even a Starbucks! So visiting the church for an hour or so and then grabbing lunch/coffee is my suggested day plan for visitors :)