Barcelona is one of the great architectural Meccas of the world. One only has to stroll through the streets of the Barri Gtic (Gothic Quarter), to encounter some of the world's finest Gothic buildings, arresting structures left over from the golden age of Catalonia. Yet it is the 19th century figure, Antonio Gaudi, who is considered the patron saint of great Barcelonan architecture. Much of the landscape of Barcelona has been touched and transformed by Gaudi's genius.
The Temple of the Holy Family is the perfect example of the kind of halting impression the master architect has left on the city. In 1883, Gaudi began to work on the Temple of the Holy Family, however due to his untimely death by a tram accident in 1926, this masterpiece of late 19th century architecture was left unfinished. Today, the Temple of the Holy Family remains a poignant monument to the great architect's passion, standing almost as tall as the neighboring mountain of Montjuic. Not surprisingly, the magnificent structure is considered one of the great man-made wonders of . Although over 120 years have elapsed since Gaudi's death, construction on the cathedral still continues and is expected to proceed for at least another 40 years.
The exterior of the Temple is in itself the picture of divine inspiration. A series of towering, awe-inspiring spires surround the narrow portal of the entranceway. These same spires were the inspiration for the celebrated Petronas Towers, designed by the influential, living architect, Cesar Pelli.
As if the spires weren't enough, Gaudi had the facade of the building decorated by hundreds of small friezes. These frieze decorations are remarkable for their depictions of saintly figures and ordinary people alike, but perhaps most remarkable of all, is the extremely modern style of the bas-reliefs. Gaudi's architecture is often distinctly cubist in nature, testifying to the fact that the architect's work was often way ahead of its time. The facades of the Temple of the Holy Family would have been unlike anything known in Gaudi's time.
The walls of the church are relieved by many narrow, high-arched windows, which filter softly glowing light into the building's interior. Higher up, the eye is automatically drawn to the narrow spire lights, which offer surreal glimpses of the sky above.
Entering the Cathedral is an even more surreal experience. Elegant fluted Greek columns soar wondrously toward the ceiling, where the capitals branch out in the forms of trees. At the top, the columns are linked, canopy-style, by a breathtaking vaulted ceiling design of life-like stone flowers.
The three portals of the temple contain larger-than-life stone sculptures depicting different scenes of the life of Jesus. The Portal of Charity is well known for its central column, which is remarkable for it intricate frieze depiction of the complete genealogy of Christ. At the base of the central column, the story of the serpent in the garden is easily visible and above the central column are the Annunciation and the story of the birth of Jesus. The Portal of Faith contains scenes of the Jesus preaching as a youth, and the surrounding stonework is replete with religious iconography, such as grapes and wheat. On the other side, the Portal of Hope depicts the flora and fauna of the Nile, the marriage of Mary and Joseph, the slaughter of the innocents, and many other standard and non-standard biblical scenes.
On the ground floor of the temple, one can view several reconstructed models of the Temple of the Holy Family as laid out in Gaudi's original plans. The original plans were destroyed by a fire shortly after Gaudi's death. One can also view photographic exhibits of the construction work done on the temple over the decades, as well as photos of Antonio Gaudi's funeral.
Visiting the temple often means dedicating an entire day to absorbing the sweeping immensity and endless details of the mind-boggling design. In a city celebrated for its stunning works of architecture, The Temple of the Holy Family is easily the most famous landmark of all, and more than well worth the visit.