VISITING BARCELONA | |
 CITY TOURS SELECTION
The Sagrada Familia (www.sagradafamilia.org), the best and most famous work of Antoni Gaudí, is a spectacular temple that is still unfinished. It is recommended to contract a guided visit to the temple, since this construction is filled with symbolism and details that can stay unnoticed in such an overwhelming construction.
For example, anticipating that the process of construction of the building will be very slow, the architect placed in the Nativity facade, one of the front doors to the temple, two giant turtles that symbolize the longevity and slowness - more than 120 years later, it is still in construction -.
In addition, following this simbology, the turtle of the left is a marine turtle, since it is in the side that is oriented to the Mediterranean, whereas the one of the right is terrestrial, since it is the side that it gives to the mountain of Collserola. Gaudí often insists on the fact that his works are in a city that is located between the sea and the mountain.
Nature was the source of inspiration for Gaudí. Only in the Nativity facade of the Sagrada Familia it is possible to fine over 80 types of botanical elements, in addition to the great variety of animals that ae distributed on the different facades: frogs, serpents, sea hedgehog, conches, pelicans, doves...
The system of arcs of Gaudí is very special. The facades of the Sagrada Familia are a pure ornament, they do not hold the structure of the temple. This one is maintained on itself by means of a system of columns that are slightly inclined and as well as the fasades , they are ornamented as if they were gigantic palm trees.
The shortest way from Catalonia square is to walk to the metro of Paseo de Gracia and Gran Via. From there one can take line 2 direction Gorg to Sagrada Familia. If one wants to take the metro at Plaza Catalunya it is possible to take the metro (L1) direction Fondo and, change at Sagrera to line 5 direction Cornellà Centre until the Sagrada Familia.
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