The Basilica La Sagrada Familia is unlike any building I’ve ever seen. It’s other worldly, ethereal and downright overwhelming in its complexity. There is so much to look at, so many details big & small, so many different styles of architecture, that I can imagine someone could spend days there without seeing it all. That someone was not me however, as remember, I travel with three rambunctious boys, so the two hours we spent there was pushing it.

Construction on the basilica began over 140 years ago and even today it’s constantly evolving, a perpetual scene of architextural artistry in action. Designed by the famed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, at the time of his death in 1926, less than one quarter of the project had been completed. Since then, with the exceptions of the Spanish Civil War and covid, construction on the basilica has marched on continuously and is slated to be finally completed by 2026.

The Sagrada Familia is a world heritage site, which pretty much means that it is protected & valued not only by Spain but also the entire world in general. Yes it is a church but more than that, it’s an incredible work of art that you can literally walk around inside of. It’s kind of like being inside a kaleidoscope, the colors constantly shifting thru the walls of stained glass and light reflecting off nearly every surface. London had the foresight to bring his sketchbook and he spent a good amount of time drawing, and while his art wasn’t exactly angelic, as it’s usually monsters which spring forth from his colored pencils, I could tell the space inspired him.

Back outside, we marveled at how many different styles melded together to form the entrances to the basilica and once it’s completed, there will be 18 towers dotting its intricate roofline. We didn’t make it up any towers on this visit, but I suppose that gives us just one more reason to come back a second time.

As we headed out, back onto the streets of Barcelona in search of a dinner of empanadas and patatas bravas, I thought about Señor Gaudí and how amazing it was that a project he dreamed up over a hundred years ago was still coming to fruition long after his own bones had turned to dust. And though he could not have known the path his creativity would take, nor how many millions of people would visit his work, his vision of the future and what the Sagrada Familia would ultimately look like, gave him a touch of immortality and that, in itself, is what every artist dreams of.

La Sagrada Familia

C/ de Mallorca, 401, L’Eixample, 08013 Barcelona, Spain

#34-932-08-04-14

Open Monday thru Friday 9am-8pm

Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday 10:30am-8pm