Take A Close Look At What's Inside Gaudi's Sagrada Familia

High Columns

As you walk through the cathedral, you will be struck by the sheer enormity of construction. Gaudi has been known to use nature as a muse, and the massive columns within the cathedral have been built to resemble trees growing in a forest, leaving you with the illusion of walking through a botanical garden rather than a site of religious worship.

Stained Glass Windows

The stained glass windows adorning the walls are magnificent, but what will leave you awe-struck is the way Gaudí envisioned the structure. The colors on each glass have been chosen based on the time of day the sun would shine through the window, filling the room with blues and reds to represent the birth and suffering of Christ. 

The Apse

The apse, a semi-circular structure with a dome, is generally part of a cathedral in which the altar lies. Gaudi ensured the apse of the Basilica felt light and open and designed it in a way that natural light from the outdoors would spill into it. The apse houses seven chapels, dedicated to the seven sorrows of joys of Saint Joseph.

The Altar

At the center of the apse and directly above the crypt is the altar, whose ceiling is higher than the rest of the apse to accentuate its divinity. Keeping with tradition, above the altar is a canopy, also known as the Baldachin.

 It has a heptagon shape, with seven edges, which represents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Fifty hanging lights illuminate its rim of the canopy, and you will find grape vines and wheat that are the symbols of the Eucharist,springing  from the rims. You will also find the Prayer of Glory written on a ribbon attached around the baldachin. 

The Eternal Father

While Gaudi was the main architect of the Basilica, upon his passing, the project was continued by those who shared his vision. Of these was an architect, Jordi Bonet, who was responsible for creating the Eternal Father. 

Clearly visible from the Gloria entrance, the Eternal Father is a triangular symbol located in the large hyperboloid  just above the presbytery, which houses the priests.The golden triangle, framed by the hyperboloid, symbolizes the Eternal Father. 

The Door of Glory

The bronze Door of Glory was designed by the controversial sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. A part of the unfinished Glory Façade, the Door of Glory has the Lord’s prayer inscribed on it in more than 50 different languages. The Lord’s Prayer was arranged random and in a work of coincidence, the handle of the door also has the letters “A” and “G”, referring to the initials of Antoni Gaudi, inscribed on it. 

The Glory Façade, once completed, will operate as the main entrance into the Basilica. 

Organ

Construction of the Basilica, as with that of most churches, would be incomplete without an instrument. In this case, the organ would be supported by 8,000 pipes, to be able to listen to the acoustics from every cranny of the Basilica.  

The organ is currently a work in progress but is being constructed in a way that would allow each instrument to be played individually, as well as in harmony. The Basilica is truly paving the way for an unmatched religious experience.  

Sagrada Familia Museum

On display are models, charts, and designs depicting Gaudi’s plans for construction. While a lot of his original designs were burnt or destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, the plans that were pieced together or salvaged are now open for public viewing. 

While all the carvings on the walls of the Basilica were once done by hand, today the help of computers and machines have been enlisted to aid in its construction. Visitors are welcome to watch as the architects work on completing what is unfinished of Gaudi’s cathedral.