They call it Gaudy

I banged my head on the ceiling. It was not the first time, but it was the first time I had banged my head on the ceiling of a first century church.  We were in Cappadocia, Turkey, visting an early Christian church. Carved into a volcanic rock mountain, there was a narrow nave leading to an alter. Above it were crude images of crosses carved into the stone, and, of course, the ever present fish symbol.  I was struck by the simplicity of the sanctuary, which was quite a contrast to the  Sagrada Famalia in Barcelona, Spain.

I had never been a big fan of Antoni Gaudi Cornet, the  Catalan architect of the great Spanish church. I remember him from Art Apre. 101, but his designs seemed a bit bizarre to me The shapes were too amorphous, almost organic, and his use of concrete and ironwork seemed crude. I could well understand how we created the English word, gaudy, as a not so glorious comment on his work. But then I traveled to Spain and learned to appreciate, nay enjoy, the work of Gaudi. My appreciation came from the many displays and exhibits at Casa Mila. There I learned that Gaudi based much of his designs on those designs in the plant and animal kingdoms. Also, his style is in some ways a reflection of his heritage.  Gaudi's ancestry was filled with ironworkers, stone masons, carpenters, and other craftsmen. You can see this influence in his work. Gaudi had a unique working method, in that he rarely drew plans of his designs.  He preferred to make three-dimensional models of them.

It was not my intent to visit Basilica y Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Famalia, more commonly known as Sagrada Familia.  However, due to the urging of the dear sweet lady to whom I am married, I visited one of the most popular World Heritage Sites. We got off the bus and walked a few blocks to the construction site. I say construction site, because the construction of the cathedral started in '82, that was 1882, and it isn't complete yet.  As you look skyward there are eight spires reaching over 500 feet into the brilliant Spanish sky with construction cranes beside them.  It doesn't really make for a "Kodak Moment". There are many people in line. I don't like lines. I think my dislike for lines stems from my time in military service. We wait in line.  After all, it is the Sagrada Familia.

When you enter Sagrada Familia one of the first things you notice is how different it is from other cathedrals. Of course there is the extremely high ceiling in which you envision a cloud. It seems to lack the classic cruciform shape. There seems to be a total lack of sharp edges. The structure seems to "flow" around you.  There is space for 9,000 people.  It is vast.  The giant columns reach for the vaulted ceiling, but before reaching it form branches like those of trees.  And then there is the light. Light beams into the sacred space through stained glass and unstained glass windows. The stained glass images are abstract, stylized like that of all sculpture in the cathedral. The floor and white interior walls are bathed in ever-changing color and interesting shadows. A time lapse video of this would be spectacular! We ventured outside after studying the alter and its crucifix bathed in color.

There are three facades to the Sagrada Familia. The Passion. The Glory. The Nativity.  The Nativity was completed first, while the Glory Facade is yet to be completed. The sculptures and relief carvings are very ornate. Gaudi's love of nature is expressed in the amount of vegetation created in stone and concrete. (I wonder if Gaudi's vegetarian eating habits contributed to his love of plants.) Looking up, we see the eight spires. There are to be eighteen of them depicting the twelve Apostles, the four Evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ. Christ's spire is in the center and the tallest.  The structure is awesome. But somehow that descriptive term seems to be inadequate.

We enjoyed our visit to Sagrada Familia, and if per chance we visit Barcelona again it will be on our "must see" list.

Wikipedia Photo