Top Attractions of Sagrada Familia

Spain is the second most visit country in the world with more than 50 million tourists visiting it yearly. A tour of Spain would include a visit to its famed cities Barcelona and Madrid. Apart from sample some ethnic Spanish food and wine one can see some of the most good-looking architectural design on the buildings of Spain.

The Sagrada Familia is a great Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, and one of Spain’s most visited tourist attractions. It’s a design by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan architect who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926. The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and still as yet not finished.

When you visit the building you will see the difference in the stone colour between the front and back of the building. Also the actual style of construction appears somewhat different between the new and old parts of the building. The architecture of Barcelona has been most royal by the work of Antoni Gaudi. One of Gaudi's greatest creations is the Sagrada Familia a giant Temple that has been under construction since 1882. This building is the number one most visited attraction in Barcelona catering to over 2,000,000 visitors per year.

The church has three facades, each with three porches. The frontage of the Nativity, seen here, was finished first. The three portals of this facade are related to the Christian themes of faith, hope, and charity. The iconography supports the central belief of the Catholic church. Even though biographical events are depicted, they are not essentially in chronological order since the themes are more important than any time order.

18 Towers: Immobile, architects now have a clear idea of what Gaudí had in mind. The last version of his design called for a church 95m/312ft long and 60m/197ft wide. The church will be able to accommodate 13,000 people. When finished, the Sagrada Familia will have a total of 18 towers.Four Towers on each of the three facades represent the 12 apostle. The towers reach a height of 90 to 120m (394ft). Another four towers represent the 4 evangelists. They will surround the largest, 170m/558ft tall tower, dedicated to Jesus Christ. The last tower, dedicated to Virgin Mary, will be built over the apse.

Although the Sagrada Familia is far from finished, the remarkable church is well worth a visit. You can visit the crypt were Gaudí is buried. A museum tells the story of this great architect and the history of the church. 

You can also visit the towers. An winch and a long walk will lead you to the top of a tower from where you have a glorious view over Barcelona. The climb is not recommended for those with fear of heights or for people with claustrophobia.