La Sagrada Familia

I already had decided what our first priority in Barcelona would be, seeing the interior of La Sagrada Familia.

As this would be my second trip to Barcelona, I wanted to do/see things that I missed during my first visit here – seeing La Sagrada Familia was on top of that list. I did see it last time, however, only the exterior and only for a brief moment during our “free” walking tour of the city. Now it was time to get inside.

I have heard from multiple travellers during our recent escapades around Spain that seeing the interior of Gaudi’s masterpiece was worth every cent and coming from backpackers who are cautious of how they spend their money, that statement is a gold seal of approval.

When thinking about Barcelona you can’t help but think of La Sagrada Familia, even if your unsure about what exactly it is. The majority of people know there is “some crazy church” that “some eccentric architect” built that is the crowning jewel of the city and on every “Must-See” guide ever created.

We decided that we would tackle the colossal Roman Catholic Church on our first full day in Barcelona so we headed on over. Not to be suprised. We couldn’t get in. Tickets were sold out for the day, and we were informed that you must book online. So it was another exterior view of the church for me but only for now. We have purchased our online tickets and will make our way back to the church tomorrow for our 12:30p.m. admission time and I will finally get to see the inside.

Lesson learned: Do ticket research before you go. Had we done a little Googling beforehand, we would have realized how the ticket process works and purchased them online. You can buy tickets here and learn more about planing your trip in attempt to make sure your first visit to the church is a success.

For those who are craving a little more information about La Sagrada Familia here are some quick facts:

– The construction of the church began in 1882, and remains under construction to this day.

– The unfinished church is already a UNESCO World Heritage site.

– The construction is funded by private patrons, and now by ticket sales. It is not funded by any branch of government or official church sources.

– The estimated cost of construction in 2009 was €18 million.

– The original architect on the project was Francisco de Paula del Villar. Antoni Gaudi did not begin working on the church until 1883 and was declared the Architect Director in 1884.

– The architecture of the church is described as Art Deco and Gothic, which as you can see from pictures, is an unusual blend.

– The church’ anticipated completion date is 2026 which is the centennial of Gaudí’s death.

– At completion it will be able to accommodate 13,000 people and a choir of 1,500.

My sources of information were here and here. Check the out for more details.

Have you ever visited La Sagrada Familia? What did you think of the colossal church?