10 Facts About the Sagrada Familia

I had only one site in mind for my trip to Barcelona way before I started planning and fleshing out our itinerary and it was the Sagrada Familia. I knew it is glorious from the photos Iâ€™ve seen but seeing it in person still took my breath away. Sugarface and I spent an afternoon there listening to the audio tour and detail hunting. The abundant intricacies and majestic grandeur were a feast for the eyes. If you only see one thing in Barcelona, make it the Sagrada Familia! Hereâ€™s a list of ten facts to further entice you.

10 Facts about the Sagrada Familia

This cathedral is regarded as Antoni GaudÃâ€™s unfinished masterpiece. He spent about 40 years designing and building the Sagrada Familia. Itâ€™s scheduled to be finished in ten years, around the 100 year anniversary of Gaudiâ€™s death. (Many are skeptical about this deadline being met but I am optimistic!)
The first stone was laid in 1882.
GaudÃ lived on-site and dedicated the last years of his life to this project. He was unpaid!

Only the apse, crypt, and the Eastern facade dedicated to the Nativity were completed before he died. I learned what an apse is with the audio tour; itâ€™s a semicircular recess covered with a semi-dome.
GaudÃ was hit by a tram and due to his shabby dress and lack of paper identifications, the hospital mistook him for a beggar and neglected care. He died three days later.
He was buried in the crypt in the cathedral.
After his death, his assistant DomÃ¨nec SugraÃ±es took over for 12 years. Since then a handful of architects and sculptors have collaborated on the finishing of this project, some of whom worked closely with GaudÃ.
Construction was and still is funded by visitors and donators.
Occasionally, masses are held at the cathedral, but it is invite-only. You can stalk the website for details on how to acquire invitations once thereâ€™s a mass scheduled.
Their Twitter account gives frequent updates on the construction and also provides more fun facts!

Visiting Tips

Buy tickets online to save time from waiting in long lines.
Access to towers and spiral staircases are not included with general admission. We learned this the sad way.
You can buy discounted combined tickets if you purchase admission to both the Sagrada and Casa Museu GaudÃ, located adjacent to another famous GaudÃ creation, the Park GÃ¼ell.