{"id":68543,"date":"2016-06-01T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T07:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=68543"},"modified":"2021-03-15T18:20:37","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T17:20:37","slug":"sagrada-familia-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/sagrada-familia-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nativity Facade of La Sagrada Familia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Nativity <strong>Fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> of <em>La Sagrada Fam\u00edlia<\/em> represents one of the earliest parts of the church to be completed, and is also the purest example of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/antoni-gaudi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Gaud\u00ed\u2019s<\/a> work on the basilica, being constructed mostly during his lifetime, and entirely to his design. Although remarkable for its unique appearance, it also contains much symbolic detail that repays closer attention.<\/p>\n<div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-currency=\"EUR\" data-language=\"en\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-partner=\"shbarcelona\" data-product-ids=\"918256,1012562,975248,976327\"><\/div>\n<p><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/sagrada-familia-2\/#Design_and_construction_of_the_facade\" title=\"Design and construction of the fa\u00e7ade\">Design and construction of the fa\u00e7ade<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/sagrada-familia-2\/#A_closer_look\" title=\"A closer look\">A closer look<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Design_and_construction_of_the_facade\"><\/span>Design and construction of the fa\u00e7ade<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_68545\" style=\"width: 275px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-68545\" class=\" wp-image-68545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Tortoise-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Photo credit: twbuckner via VisualHunt \/ CC BY\" width=\"265\" height=\"199\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-68545\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: twbuckner via VisualHunt \/ CC BY<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Construction of the <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> took place between 1894 and 1930. By the time of <strong>Gaud\u00ed\u2019s<\/strong> death in 1926, only the bell towers remained to be completed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the name suggests, it is dedicated to celebrating the birth of Jesus, and for this reason is built facing the rising sun, symbolic of birth, life, and light.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> is divided into three porticoes separated by two columns. At the base of one column is a stone sculpture of a tortoise (pictured left), on the other a turtle: one to symbolise land and one sea, both representative of that which is set in stone and thus unchangeable. In contrast, chameleons are carved on either side of the <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> to represent change.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Gaud\u00ed<\/strong> realised he would not live to see the <strong>church\u2019s<\/strong> completion, so he intended this <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> as a model of how the work should be continued after his death. It is appropriate that he should choose the nativity <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> for completion first, as this represented the birth of the <strong>church<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_closer_look\"><\/span>A closer look<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The three porticoes represent the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Above the door of Jesus in the portico of Charity, a Tree of Life (in the form of a naturalistic, painted cypress tree &#8211; pictured right) rises up and points towards the heavens. Doves of peace can be seen nesting in its branches.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It had been <strong>Gaud\u00ed\u2019s<\/strong> intention to have all of the sculpted figures of the fa\u00e7ade painted in order to bring them to life, however, these plans were not fully carried out so we have mainly monochrome stone figures highlighted by naturalistic coloured details.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scenes from the life of Christ adorn the porticoes\u00a0and appear to grow out of the foliage-like background. From a distance, the effect is almost like the interior of a cave with many stalagmites and stalactites\u00a0or an elaborately decorated cake with melting icing. \u00a0Look closer still and you will see the faces of the statues, which were modeled by <strong>Gaud\u00ed<\/strong> on local people.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_68546\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-68546\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-68546\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Treeoflife-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Photo credit: Simon Greig Photo via VisualHunt \/ CC BY-NC-SA\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-68546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: Simon Greig Photo via VisualHunt \/ CC BY-NC-SA<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">From out of this forest of life and light arise the four bell towers dedicated to the saints. The first to be completed (before<strong> Gaud\u00ed\u2019s<\/strong> death) in 1925 was the 100m high tower dedicated to St Barnabas. Then followed towers dedicated to the Apostles St Matthias and St Jude, and St Simon the Zealot.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The towers are adorned with terms of worship: <em>Sanctus<\/em>, <em>Hosanna<\/em>, and <em>Excelsis<\/em>, and capped with episcopal symbols representing the staff, cross and mitre of the bishops who govern the church as successors to the apostles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You can learn more about the symbolism of the <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/sagradafamilia.org\/en\/tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The unique beauty of the <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> can be enjoyed for free from the Pla\u00e7a de Gaud\u00ed opposite. It is especially poignant and impressive in the early morning and late evening, when not surrounded by tourist hordes. If you wish to climb one of the bell towers and view the inside of the <strong>fa\u00e7ade<\/strong>, you will need to pay \u20ac15 for entry and a further \u20ac14 for the tower, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/shbarcelona.barcelona.ticketbar.eu\/en\/sagrada-familia-en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">ticket price<\/a> does contribute to the ongoing construction of the <strong>church<\/strong>, and it is something that should be seen, at least once, during any stay in Barcelona.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"68543\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 150px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <strong class=\"kksr-score\">5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\/<\/span>\n        <strong>5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">(<\/span>\n        <strong class=\"kksr-count\">1<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\n            vote        <\/span>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Nativity Fa\u00e7ade of La Sagrada Fam\u00edlia represents one of the earliest parts of the church to be completed, and is also the purest example of Gaud\u00ed\u2019s work on the basilica, being constructed mostly during his lifetime, and entirely to his design. Although remarkable for its unique appearance, it also contains much symbolic detail that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":82140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4346],"tags":[223,4318,1961],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68543"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68543"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105610,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68543\/revisions\/105610"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}