How Do You Tour Barcelonas Sagrada Familia Cathedral?
No great city is as closely associated with the work of a single architect as Barcelona is with Antonio Gaudi. His exotic, curved Art Nouveau fantasies make Barcelona seem other-worldly–a city of dreams. Gaudi’s monument is the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada FamÃlia, better known as La Sagrada Familia. Construction began in 1882, and the most optimistic estimates say it should be finished by 2026. The project is being paid for by private donations and visitor admission charges. Begin your tour by going to the church at Carrer Mallorca, 401, and examining the exterior. The three main facades are the Passion, or western facade, Nativity, or eastern facade and the Glory, or southern facade. The Glory side was intended to be the main entrance, but that has been shifted over to the Passion side. Each facade has carvings pertaining to a particular part of Christ’s life: Nativity for Christ’s birth and early years, Passion for Christ’s suffering and crucifixion and Glory, once it’s completed
