The 11 secrets and mysteries of Sagrada Familia — La Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia is the masterpiece of Gaudi and is probably the most famous monument in the city. It attracts 3 million visitors every year and its construction is supposed to be finished by 2026. There are many secrets hidden behind its walls.
Here are some secrets that Gaudí took away with him from this world, but which were found eventually…
AFTER GAUDI’S DEATH
Gaudí thought that any architect could understand his plans and drawings of the structure even after his death, and go on with the construction. Future architects then based their work on the design which was initially imagined by Gaudí.
THE 3 DIFFERENT FACADES
There are three different facades here. The first one is the Nativity façade which was completed in 1935. It is directly influenced from Gaudí’s style. The second one is the Passion facade which is much simpler and dedicated to Christ’s suffering during his crucifixion. Finally — the Glory façade. It is the largest one out of the three and is still under construction.
DONATIONS AND ALMS
This building was funded by private patrons during the beginning stages of its construction. La Sagrada Familia has received a number of private funds from alms or donations over the years. This has been exclusive to the construction of Gaudí’s dream.
THE MOST VISITED MONUMENT IN SPAIN
This masterpiece of Gaudi has almost 3 million visitors a year. It is classified as the UNESCO World Heritage Site and has overtaken the Prado Museum and the Granada’s Alhambra of Madrid. It has now become the most visited monument in Spain.
THE DISCREDITED WORK
Long been misunderstood, Antoni Gaudí’s whole life’s work has been discredited. During the last days of his life, he had no family and no money. This is why the last moments of his life were entirely dedicated to the Sagrada Familia.
THE PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION
The construction of the structure started in 1882 and is supposed to be finished by 2026 or 2028. While the pyramids of Giza had taken 20 years to be completed, the Sagrada Familia will take between 144 and 146 years to be fully built.
THE CURVED LINES
Like most of his works, Gaudí decided to design the Sagrada Familia with curved lines. According to him, Nature doesn’t consist of straight lines, and this is why the temple should not be constructed like that, as it is the reflection of Nature, life and death.
VANDALISM
The vandalism occurred in the Sagrada Familia during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Gaudí’s workshop and the crypt were partly burnt. A large proportion of Gaudí’s models and plans were destroyed by fire.
THE MAGIC SQUARE
You might see a 4×4 magic square of 15 numbers on the Passion façade. It has been a complete brain teaser for many. Some have found that the magic constant (when you add up all numbers vertically or horizontally) is 33, like the age of Christ when he was crucified. It has yet remained a mystery.
THE SPIRES OF THE BASILICA
When the Sagrada Familia is finished, it will have 18 towers in total — 12 will be dedicated to the Apostles, 4 to the Evangelists, one to Jesus, and one to Mary.
THE HEIGHT
After much thought, Gaudí finally decided that the highest tower of Sagrada Familia would be 170 meters high, that is the Torre del Salvador (“Tower of the Savior”). It is 1 meter shorter than the Montjuic Mountain.
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Originally published at https://www.lasagradafamiliatickets.com on March 14, 2019.
