Barcelona, Spain - Part 3

I have just come back from a fascinating tour of Palma, on the Spanish island of Mallorca. When we toured its extraordinary cathedral, I yet again heard the name of the famed Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, who is mainly known for the extraordinary mark he made on the city of Barcelona. 

Barcelona is part of the Spanish region of Catalonia. The heart’s desire of the people of this region is to separate from Spain. They have their own way of life and their own language. However, Spain is hardly likely to let it go, since it is the most prosperous, successful region of Spain and therefore essential to the Spanish economy, which as you probably know is not in a healthy state. And Spain has had so many internal political problems with its Civil War and so forth, one can only hope that one day Catalonia can secede peacefully. 

Anyhow, Gaudi is famed for his very distinctive, modernist style, which was not really appreciated by most people when he was at the peak of his creativity in the early 1900s. The building for which he is most famous is the Sagrada Familia basilica in the centre of Barcelona. This is still unfinished, but the present architects hope it will be completed and officially opened in 2026, the centenary of when Gaudi was tragically killed by a tram at the age of 72, before he could complete his masterpiece. The official opening would be an extraordinary event!

The theme behind the basilica is the Holy Family. As you go around the four sides of the basilica, you follow the life of Jesus. The front side celebrates Jesus the child. As you travel around the perimeter, the whole story and message of Christ unfolds. There are a total of eighteen turrets - twelve represent the disciples of Christ, four represent the evangelists, one represents Mary and the tallest of all represents Jesus. 

We did not see inside, but outside it was the most intriguing building I have ever seen. Some almost looks like smooth sculptured mud in all kinds of unusual shapes. Then there are coloured ‘fruits’ perched on little peaks,  and a tree that looks like a Christmas tree way above the main entrance. This apparently represents the tree of life. There is something Disney-like about the overall effect. Certainly it is highly creative. Anyhow, you may like to judge the design of this building for yourselves. The building is very tall, so I have sometimes zoomed into some of the unique features.

The first four photos are four sides of an intricate model of the cathedral that was in a nearby shop. The building in the front of the second last photo was built by Gaudi for children.