[SPAIN] Barcelona - Sagrada Familia (including Nativity tower tour)

10:04 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

The lift is only for going up till 50 meters high. Afterwards, visitors will need to cross a bridge and come down by stairs to exit the towers.

View from Nativity Tower.

Crossing the bridge. Construction of the towers were still on-going. When it is completed, Sagrada Familia will have a total of 18 towers. The central tower will be the tallest, dedicated to Jesus Christ. Next to it, over the apse, will be the tower of Mary. Then come the towers of four Evangelists. Finally, the twelve apostles are located, in groups of four, on the Nativity, Passion and Glory facades.

The six central towers are scheduled to be completed in 2022. The highest point of the Basilica will be just slightly lower than the top of Montjuic, as Gaudi said man-made constructions should never surpass the work of God.

View from the bridge.

Descending the narrow staircase from the tower.

There is a small balcony where visitor can go out and take some photos.

View from the small balcony.

Back to the main hall of Sagrada Familia. When the sun light filtered through the colourful stained glass, it was absolutely magical.

There is a mirror where visitor can view the ceiling without looking up.

The interior of the Sagrada Familia is a magnificent space: the columns were designed to mirror trees and branches. I just wouldn't get tired looking up and admiring the columns and ceiling.

The crypt is the oldest part of the Basilica and the place where Gaudi was buried on 12 June 1926 after a multitudinous final farewell from residents of Barcelona, who filled the streets of the city in recognition of his work.

Replicas of towers of four Evangelists, each represented by his traditional symbol: a man for Matthew, a lion for Mark, an ox for Luke and an eagle for John. 

This is the Glory Doors, a reproduction of the central door on the Glory Facade, the temple's main facade, which tells the story of humanity and the paths to eternal happiness. 

The Sagrada Familia will have three grand facades: Nativity Façade to the East, Passion Façade to the West and Glory Façade to the South (yet to be completed). 

This is the entrance/exit to the Passion Facade.

Passion Façade narrates the passion, death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The four bell towers on this façade are devoted to the apostles James, Bartholomew, Thomas and Philip. 

This is the school originally designed by Gaudi in 1909 for the children of the construction workers.

Nativity Façade expresses the joy of the birth of Jesus. Before Gaudi's death, the bell tower dedicated to the apostle Barnabas was completed. The other three, representing apostles Judas, Simon and Matthias, were finished in 1930. The porticos are devoted to Mary, Joseph and Jesus and represent faith, hope and charity respectively.

This is a model of the basilica when it is completed.

Personally, I prefer the Nativity Facade. Its design seems more organic and intricate, or should I say, more "Gaudi-like". 

You can try taking photo of Sagrada Familia (Nativity Facade side) from the garden, in front of the pool. If the lighting is right, the photo would turn out amazing. But most probably, you'll need a wide-angle lens to fully capture the reflection of the basilica in the pool.

Tip: If you want to take photo of the Nativity Facade when it's facing the sun, you should come during the morning as it is facing east. Likewise, if you want to take photo of the Passion Facade when it's facing the sun, you should come during the evening as it is facing west. 

But most of all, never leave Barcelona without paying Sagrada Familia a visit!