La Sagrada Familia (“Sacred Family”) is a massive, highly unusual Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona, Spain. Construction on the the Sagrada Familia began in 1882, and it is still unfinished! The architect, Antoni Gaudí, died in 1926, but construction has continued since his death, following the detailed plans that he left behind. Gaudí was inspired by nature, and his designs reflect the shapes one might see in the natural world. The Sagrada Familia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the most popular tourist destination in Spain, and receives about 3 million visitors every year.
After your class on Thursday, you will visit the links and videos posted below to answer the following questions. Update: please complete these questions for homework Thursday night. Do not do the question on another Gaudí design, as it says to do on the bottom of your paper; just complete the nine questions here.
For a virtual tour of the interior of the Sagrada Familia, click here.
To read about the history of the cathedral and some of the symbolism in the design, click here.
For a map to Barcelona’s metro system, click here.
For some information about visiting this popular site, click here.
For some other little-known facts about the Sagrada Familia, click here.
Below, watch this rendering of what the future additions to the Sagrada Familia will look like. Remember, it is already huge! What you see added during this video is what has not been built yet!
- In what year will the Sagrada Familia (hopefully!) be finished?
- What do the 12 towers on the Sagrada Familia represent?
- Gaudí was inspired by nature when he designed the Sagrada Familia. What do the pillars inside the main nave of the cathedral look like to you?
- What are some other unusual creatures that you can see on the towers of the Sagrada Familia?
- What are some other famous buildings designed by Gaudí?
- To get from the Sants Estació to the Sagrada Familia, which subway line would you have to take?
- What are the hours that the Sagrada Familia is open to the public?
- How much does a ticket to the Sagrada Familia cost?
- How can you avoid waiting in line for hours to see the Sagrada Familia?