Welcome Apartments

Gaudi’s Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral

The architect Andoni Gaudi’s most celebrated work, the Sagrada Familia, or ‘Sacred Family’, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its golden spires can be seen from any spot in the upper reaches of the city, indeed, more than any other this building symbolizes Barcelona. This didn’t stop one particularly bright friend of mine (who’s lived in Barcelona for three years) calling it, ‘Gandhi’s Cathedral’.

The Nativity Façade is the only part of the temple whose construction was directly organised by Gaudi himself. It features four bell towers with a cylindrical structure- the tallest two reach a height of 107 metres.

The central spire of the entrance portico is decorated with a scultpure of a cypress tree and doves, symbolizing purity. Stone blinds in the bell tower create an acoustic diffusion of the tubular bells, as enviisioned by Gaudi.

Each of the planned twelve towers of the Cathedral are dedicated to an apsostle. The word ‘Sanctus’ appears nine times in different colours on each bell tower, yellow signifies the Holy Father, red the Holy Son and orange the Holy spirit.

The pinnacles culimate in stars in the shape of a crown and the words ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Excelsius’ below. The friezes, depicting themes such as the Adoration of the Three Kings and the Adoration of the Shepherds, offer breathtakingly intricate detail and workmanship.

Anyone, and I mean, anyone visiting Barcelona will be blown away by this most untypical of celestial visions, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. And remember it is still under construction, so you can come back and see it develop each year.

In summertime you can visit the cathedral between nine in the morning and eight at night.

Fees:
Single 8€
Group 5€
Student 5€

As always we will be glad to help you with any information about Gaudi’s Sagradia Familia and other tourist attractions in Barcelona and will be happy to fit you and your guests into one of our great Barcelona Hotels/ Accomodations. We will do all to ensure that you have a great stay with Welcome Apartments and a memorable time in Barcelona. Our accommodations closest to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral are our Quatre Gates Series and the Passeig De Gracia.

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