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Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família
The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (catalán, Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) of Barcelona in Catalonia, or more simply Sagrada Familia, is a great minor Catholic basilica of the architect Antoni Gaudí, the greatest exponent of Catalan modernism. The work began under the reign of Alfonso twelfth of Spain. The building was started in Neo-Gothic style, but when Gaudì became a designer of the work in 1883 at the age of thirty-one, he was completely redesigned. For the rest of his life, Gaudí worked at the church, devoting himself entirely to the last fifteen years. The idea of creating an Atonement Church devoted to the Holy Family in the then peripheral area of Eixample was by the bookseller Josep Maria Bocabella, inspired by Josep Manyanet, the priest, the Vives founder of the Congregations of the Sons and Missionaries of the Holy Family, charged with promoting the cult of the sacred family and to promote Christian education in young people and in children. Bocabella founded the Asociación de Devotos de San Josep, with the aim of raising funds for the construction of a temple devoted to the Holy Family. In 1881, thanks to the donations received, the association bought a whole block of the Eixample neighborhood in a place known as El Poblet near the Camp de l'Arpa in the district of Sant Martí. The project was entrusted to the architect Francisco de Paula of Villar y Lozano, who started the work in Neo-Gothic style. Villar's project consisted of a three-nave church with elements typical of neo-Gothic style such as the outer buttresses. The first stone was placed on March 19, 1882 St. Joseph's Day, with the presence of the bishop of Barcelona José María Urquinaona. Gaudí participated in the ceremony because he previously worked as an assistant to several Villar projects, unable to imagine that he would become the architect of the work. In 1883, Villar resigned due to disagreements with Joan Martorell, a consultant architect of Bocabella. The project was originally offered to Martorell himself, refusing to name a young, thirty-year-old architect, Antoni Gaudí, formerly Martorell's assistant in the construction of several buildings but not yet carrying out great works. When Gaudí assumed the responsibility of the project, Gaudí changed it entirely, though in continuing the construction of the crypt he maintained what was already built. Gaudi worked on the project devoting completely to this enterprise the last fifteen years of his life. This intense dedication, in addition to the enormity of the work, also stems from the fact that Gaudi defined many details as the building advanced; for him the personal presence at the site was of paramount importance. In fact, he regarded this work as that of his life, following it in every passing passage. With the rise of the building, the style became more and more fantastic with four tiny towers that resemble the termites or dripping sandcastles of children. These are inherited forms of Neo-Gothic architecture, according to which the church was originally conceived; nevertheless, they were inspired by their natural forms. The towers are crowned by cymbals of a geometric shape of one hundred and fifteen feet high, lined with brightly colored ceramics, which were probably influenced by Cubism. You also admire a large number of elaborate decorations that are brought back to the Art Nouveau style. Gaudi died suddenly in an accident, overwhelmed by a tram while walking around for Barcelona. During his life, Gaudí managed to realize only the facade of the Nativity, completing only one of the towers, that of San Barnaba. At his death, his assistant Doménec Sugranes assumed the responsibility of the work, completing the three incomplete towers of the Nativity façade.
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