La Sagrada Familia

We started early for our tour of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia We were lucky enough to book a tour in English. Gaudi believed in nature and his architectural designs demonstrate that. He only completed about 15 percent of the church when he was struck by a tram and died The church was started by another architect in 1882. The whole design of the church started to change 1 year later when Gaudi took over. The progress was slow because it was dependent on funds from the people. The government did not contribute any money. After Gaudi’s death the work on the church continued. The work was impeded by the Spanish Civil war and by the burning of Gaudi’s workshop and models by Catalan anarchists. The work on the church is from reconstructed versions of the plans. It is about 70 percent finished. The hope is that it will be concluded in 2026 the 100 year anniversary of Gaudi’s death. Nothing you read about this church can prepare you for the beauty and intricacy of the design. The facade of the church tells the story of Jesus birth, death and resurrection. It is mingled with symbols of nature. The interior is a spectacular use of light and color. It is just beautiful! In the tour you are taken through the part of the church which was Gaudi’s workshop. Here you can see pictures and models of the church’s architectural design done over the years. We spent a glorious 2 hours in the church. On our way back to Plaza Espana we stopped to see several churches in the area and visited two of the largest open markets. By 1400 we were starving and stopped for a leisurely lunch of Paella.