Things You Can´t Miss at the Sagrada Familia Barcelona

The Sagrada Familia is Gaudí's most famous work; more than 100 years in the making, it is the only great temple that is still under construction today. It is also one of the most visited monuments in Barcelona so, on your list of things to see and do in the city, you can't miss a stop at the beautiful Basilica.

Although it is still under construction, most of the building work has been completed and you can now visit the interior of the church without any problems. You just need to make sure you have your ticket to the Sagrada Familia and check the Sagrada Familia opening hours in advance.

Although I'm sure you're wondering, what will I see on this guided tour of the Sagrada Familia and is it really worth it? The short answer is: Yes! The longer answer is: Yes! I'll tell you about all the elements or spaces that you should definitely pay attention to in order to marvel at the artistic work and ingenuity that has been taking place for more than a century within the confines of this space.

The interior of the central nave of the Sagrada Família is made up of a series of columns whose shape and height are very similar to the trunks of trees in a leafy forest. This peculiar shape is no coincidence, but is the result of Gaudí's own evolution as an architect who, over the years, developed a very marked style of his own, which today we call naturalist-modernist.

The particular shape of Gaudí's columns allows him to free himself from the buttresses characteristic of the Gothic style, resulting in a light, slender structure that rises high, elegantly to the roof. The foundations of this part of the structure began in 1987, by 1997 the lateral vaults were completed and by 2010 the central vault was completed with a major celebration.

Note that, as with other important religious temples, most of the sculptures of the Sagrada Família are placed directly on the different facades that make up the structure, the most characteristic example of this being the beautiful Cathedral of St. Peter in Venice.

Gaudí believed that adding various sculptural elements to the exterior would help him to attract more people's attention to his building. However, inside you can find a few sculptures of Joseph, Mary, Jesus and Sant Jordi, the most significant of which are the sculptures of Joseph, Mary, Jesus and Sant Jordi.

The apse was built by Gaudí in 1984. In architectural terms, the apse is the part of the church that houses the altar, which makes it one of the most important elements of any religious temple. Contrary to what you might expect, the altar area and the apse at LaSagrada Familia are relatively simple in terms of number of elements, yet the symbolism is highly present.

Bordered by chapels and staircases on both sides, when you reach the altar area you will find a light structure whose openings bathe the basilica in light, the interior walls are decorated with angels and teardrops interspersed. The altar is located in the centre of the basilica on a raised platform, above it is a cross with a canopy adorned in turn by numerous vines.

On your visit to the Sagrada Familia take the time to look at the beautiful stained glass windows that make up the interior. Many experts say that if Gaudí were alive this would perhaps be one of his favourite elements in the entire temple due to the architect's obvious love of colour in his work. The impressive stained glass windows inside serve to tint the structure with melancholy shades of red, orange, green and bluish light.

Each of the many stained glass windows has been arranged to achieve an ideal balance, with brightly coloured windows placed at the bottom and transparent windows at the top, thus efficiently illuminating the interiors and at the same time highlighting the many architectural details and elements set into the structure's vaulted ceiling. Magnificent!

Until 2016 the sacristy of the Sagrada Família was characterised by being a space closed to visitors; however, the authorities in charge of the church have set up an exhibition here under the name Camí de la Litúrgia.

Numerous objects that Gaudí himself designed for the liturgy are exhibited here; the collection is made up of 100% original objects by talented artists, but also quite faithful copies.

Among the highlights are a tenebrarium made of wrought iron, the two-legged candelabrum, three stools, a chair, a throne and two kneelers. Finally, there are two cupboards, one of which is used to store the liturgical vestments worn at the celebrations of the Word and the second to store liturgical objects.

Although construction is still underway, some of the towers of the Sagrada Familia are now open to the public. I highly recommend you take the tour, as from this location you get stunning views of Barcelona but you will also be able to see many of the sculptural details of the exterior of the façade from a short distance.

It is good to keep in mind that the original project of the Sagrada Familia contemplated the construction of 18 towers in total; 12 of them dedicated to the 12 apostles, 4 to the four evangelists and finally one each to the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The tallest tower will be the tower of Jesus at an impressive 172.5 metres, making it the tallest church in the world.

If you really want to understand the creative process behind the design of La Sagrada Familia, Gaudí's construction technique and the history of the church itself, be sure to visit the small museum inside La Sagrada Familia. This space exhibits a collection of fantastic models made by Gaudí and the members of his studio to draw up the plans and structural analyses that would make it possible to build the ambitious project.

The Museum is located next to the crypt, the same space that Gaudí used as his studio and where he worked until the day he died.

It is important to remember that in 1880 architects did not have sophisticated computer software to study and visualise their ideas, so models were an essential resource when drawing up even the smallest project. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936, Gaudí's studio was looted and burned, and the models were destroyed; once the conflict was over, the architect's collaborators and friends gathered the remains and set about reassembling the destroyed models. This act of vandalism meant major delays in the work in the following years.

The Crypt of the Sagrada Familia is an underground chapel located just below the apse. It was the first place in the church to be opened for worship and one of the few spaces that Gaudí was able to see completed before his death. The remains of the famous Catalan architect were buried here after his sudden and tragic death.

The crypt space has a very different architectural style to the rest of the work, the reason being that in this part of the church Gaudí did not make any notable changes, maintaining almost in its entirety the neo-Gothic style design that the first architect of the project, Francisco del Villar, had proposed for the whole church.

Gaudí's only modifications were to the location of the altar and the staircase, as well as openings to improve lighting and ventilation. It is worth taking a look at this space to see the contrast between what the Sagrada Família could have been if the initial ideas had been followed and if Gaudí's creative restlessness had not intervened.

"A jewel in a jewel box" is the phrase that has been used to describe the beautiful 1896 organ inside the Sagrada Família. It is located in the crypt, very close to Gaudí's tomb.

Built by the French firm Cavaillé-Coll and considered one of the finest examples of the romantic style in the world, the marvellous piece of art consists of two bodies, three keyboards and a total of 1492 pipes. It has a total of 26 different types of sound combinations and after some renovations it has been fitted with computers inside that memorise combinations of registers so that the instrument can be played without the presence of an organist.

Although not an interior detail, it is impossible to visit La Sagrada Familia without taking some time to admire its imposing façades made up of numerous towers filled with intricate details.

Nativity façade

The only part of the church's façade that Gaudí was able to build before his sudden death, this important façade is dedicated to the birth of Christ and is the most detailed. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the design of the façade, the structure is composed of four imposing bell towers.

The artists and sculptors whose works can be seen on the Nativity façade are creations of renowned figures such as: Llorenc Matamala i Piñol, Carles Mani i Roig and Jaume Busquets.

Façade of the Gloria

The Gloria façade on Calle Mallorca is the most recent of the three façades and is dedicated to the Glory of Jesus. Gaudí left only a structural study and a symbolic plan with initial ideas for the design of this façade; digital architectural models and specialised software have been of great help in completing the initial idea.

Passion Façade

Located on Carrer Sardenya and facing west, this is the façade that represents the passion and death of Jesus. Compared with the others, it has a slightly more austere appearance, with fewer elements and sharp geometric shapes. The most striking element is possibly the portico made up of 6 inclined columns that support the cornice. This façade also contains sculptures by Subirachs.