An ode to the life of Jesus Christ, the Sagrada Familia Basilica, stands tall as one of Barcelona’s main religious and architectural attractions.
The brain behind the architectural marvel, Antoni Gaudí, was known for his eclectic architectural style. Though he was alive to see the completion of only one of the 18 towers, the remaining towers are being built true to his vision, complete with beautiful stained windows, columns, engravings, and spires.
Joining various of his other projects in Barcelona, Gaudi’s work on the Nativity Façade of the Basilica is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Read on to find out what one can expect to find in the Sagrada Familia inside.
The Sagrada Familia is a large unfinished church in Barcelona, Spain that was designed by Antoni Gaudi.
As per Gaudi’s plans, the Basilica Sagrada Familia, once completed, is set to house 18 towers. These towers come together to create a view, known as a Façade. Each facade represents a phase in the life of Christ. There are a total of three Facades– Nativity (represents the birth of Christ), Passion (represents the death and resurrection of Christ), and the Glory Façade ( represents Christ’s eternal glory).
Each of the 18 towers holds great significance, with 12 towers dedicated to the Apostles, 4 to the Evangelists, 1 to the Virgin Mary, and the tallest and most spectacular one dedicated to Christ himself. If the thought behind every individual bit of architecture in the Basilica wasn’t enough – the view of Barcelona from the top of the tower is the icing on the cake.
The Sagrada Familia, a marvel of Catalan architecture in Barcelona's sprawling skyline, is a testament to the inspired creativity and style of Antoni Gaudi.
The meticulous blending of Christian iconography into Gaudi's distinctive design makes Sagrada Familia a structure, unlike anything you have ever seen. While people often focus on the exteriors of this spectacular structure, there’s a lot to be seen on the inside of the Sagrada Familia basilica. The colorful stained glass panes set against the delicate carvings, the high columns, and the crypt, all speak volumes about the complexity of this structure.
The cost of construction of the Sagrada Familia Basilica is undertaken through donations and the entry fee for visitors. If you’re someone with an interest in architecture or history, you should take it upon yourself to go inside the Sagrada Familia Basilica.
Being the foremost attraction of Barcelona, the queues to purchase tickets for the Basilica can get lengthy. Options are available to buy tickets online in advance. Tickets depend on which areas of the Basilica are particularly interesting to you for a visit.
Sagrada Familia Fast-Track Tickets
Sagrada Familia Fast-Track Guided Tour
Sagrada Familia Fast-Track Guided Tour with Towers Access
From its stained glass windows, chapels, and altars, to its towers dedicated to the Apostles, the Sagrada Familia Basilica is an architectural marvel, depicting the life of Jesus Christ.
Yes, you can tour inside the Sagrada Familia after purchasing tickets. You can opt for guided tours or audio guides in various languages to make the most of your visit. A tour of the Basilica would take 3-4 hours of your day.
You need a ticket to enter Sagrada Familia. The type of ticket you purchase would depend on the areas you would like to see, as different tickets are available with different inclusions. You can purchase the Sagrada Familia tickets online.
The carvings, the crypt housing Gaudi’s tomb, the stained glass windows, the Baldachin, and the nature columns, are all must-see highlights inside the Sagrada Familia.
A. Yes, visitors are allowed to enter inside Sagrada Familia. Two of the three Façades are complete and now open to the public. On purchasing a ticket, one can enter the Sagrada Familia Basilica.
The Basilica is 4,500 sq. m. with the capacity to house 14,000 visitors at once. On completion, the tower dedicated to Christ would stand at 172.5m, making the Basilica the tallest church in the world, surpassing Germany’s Ulm Minster.
Construction of the Basilica commenced in 1882, following the design of architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, Gaudí took over the project and worked on it till his death in 1926.
The three entrances of the Sagrada Familia symbolise the three virtues of Love, Hope and Faith. The columns are constructed to symbolise the saints rising into heaven and the angels descending to meet them. The different colours on the stained glass windows symbolise the birth of Christ, resurrection, water and light.
The columns inside the Sagrada Familia take on the hue of blue, red, green, yellow and ochre thanks to the stained glass windows.
Commercial photography is not permitted inside the Basilica. Special permission is required to enter with professional photography equipment. However, you are free to take pictures with camera phones.
No, you need to purchase tickets to go inside Sagrada Familia. Tickets to enter the Basilica start at 17 euros per person, and can go up to 33 euros a person, depending on the inclusions. A basic ticket would not include access to the towers.
As a functioning Catholic church, Visitors are expected to dress modestly while visiting the Sagrada Familia. To enter inside the basilica, you must be wearing clothes that cover your shoulders and reach below the mid-thighs. Hats, swimwear and costumes with promotional content or offensive/distracting designs are not allowed.
The exteriors of the Basilica are a sight in itself, but the interiors tell a whole different story. You will be left in awe at the intricate carvings, the play on lights and colours, and the magnitude of thought that went into designing the Basilica.
The Sagrada Familia opening hours are 9 AM to 6 PM everyday, however closing time can extend to 8 pm between April and September. Timings may differ on holy days of the year including Christmas.
Mass is held at the Basilica every Sunday at 9 AM. Entry for mass is free, but seating capacity is limited. The mass lasts close to an hour and is conducted in several languages.
