Starting Point: Beach
Sagrada Familia
The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is a large unfinished Roman Catholic church designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica.
Gaudí took over as chief architect in 1883, one year after construction began. He transformed the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Familia’s construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Since commencing construction in 1882, advancements in technologies such as computer aided design and computerised numerical control have enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. However, some of the project’s greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolising an important Biblical figure in the New Testament. It is anticipated that the building can be completed by 2026.
Directions: Take either the L2 or the L5 subway lines to Sagrada Familia. The church is located just across the street from the subway exit.
Plaça de Gaudí
Directions: To see the crypt, you will need to exit the premises (so be sure to see the whole church and visit the gift shop first) at the Passion Facade. Turn right after you exit and you will see the entrance to the crypt just before Carrer de Provença. After you visit the crypt, turn right on Carrer de Provença. The park is located just after Carrer de la Marina. If you follow the trail to the other side of the pond, you can get great photos of the Nativity Facade of the Sagrada Familia.
Eternal Horizon 