Barcelona: the temple of the Holy Family. Barcelona: attractions, photos. Gothic temple in Barcelona

A truly unique city is Barcelona. Attractions, photos of which adorn the pages of travel magazines, beckon to visit the land of Catalonia. And any person who turns out to be fate in this place, there is an irresistible desire to learn as much as possible about its history. And she, it should be noted, the richest! Founded even under the Romans, Barcelona (Spain, Catalonia) and now stores the traces of all the epochs of its development.

Religious buildings

On the appearance of the city an indelible imprint left many centuries of the existence of a culture of Christianity. Barcelona attractions are very diverse, but the greatest interest for tourists is the ancient churches and temples located in different parts of the city. In the Gothic quarter is the most significant, from the point of view of religious life, the temple in Barcelona - the Cathedral, whose calling card is the herd of geese grazing past the entrance, symbolizing the integrity of St. Eulalia, the patroness of the temple. The unique interior attracts the attention of tourists the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, built in the heyday of navigation. From anywhere in the city one more cult church is visible - the Temple of the Sacred Heart, erected on the top of Mount Tibidabo . Barcelona, thanks to these facilities, annually attracts thousands of connoisseurs of architecture, but the largest number of tourists from all corners of the world come here to see the main treasure of the city - the Church of the Holy Family, the construction of which began in the late 19th century and continues to this day. Millions of people have visited Barcelona for many years to admire the unsurpassed style of Antonio Gaudi.

Sagrada Familia

The expiatory temple of the Sagrada Familia, or Sagrada Familia, which is also sometimes mistakenly called a cathedral, although in fact it is a church, is a cultural landmark not only of Spain, but of the whole world. The recognizable silhouette of the building of tourists is no less admirable than the pyramid of Cheops. This work of art is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, despite the fact that the construction of the building has not yet been completed. Each year Spain (Catalonia, Barcelona) receives more than three million people who want to see the temple personally. Majestic Sagrada Familia on the background of the city and the truth looks impressive. The history of its erection will be described below.

Construction of the Sagrada Familia

The idea of creating a church arose in 1874 quite unexpectedly, due to the donation of a large amount of money. Already in 1881, the land was purchased for construction a few kilometers from Barcelona. Yes, originally the temple was built outside the city, it was later expanded so much that Sagrada Familia is now located in the most populated urban area. In March 1882, under the direction of the architect F. del Villar, they began to lay the foundation of the building. Nevertheless, despite the large number of ideas and the availability of funds for construction, at the end of 1882 the architect refused to participate in the construction, due to the lack of agreement between him and the customer. Perhaps now would not have Barcelona attractions of such magnitude, if after the exclusion from work on the del Villar's project, the architect Antonio Gaudi did not join the cause full of enthusiasm and power. According to his idea, the temple should have turned out to be very openwork, resembling a web, in the Art Nouveau style. It was assumed that the structure would be strewn with a multitude of towers rushing upwards, and the remaining interior and exterior scenery would reflect the individual elements of the Gospel, namely the birth, crucifixion, resurrection of Christ, or other rituals of the Catholic Church. According to the Gaudi project, the temple should look like a sand castle, similar to what people like to sit on the shore of a pond, to build children. It was thought that the central spire of the church in the form of a cross would have a height of 170 meters, which is one meter below the height of Montjuic (the mountains in the city of Barcelona) - the temple should not exceed the perfect creation of God.

The grand design of Gaudi

The history of Barcelona was parallel to the construction of the Sagrada Familia, because only the facade of the building was erected for more than forty years. During this time, the city grew, confidently merged into the industrial era and began to develop rapidly. The decoration of each tower Antonio Gaudi paid close attention. Above the embodiment of his ideas he labored painstakingly and did not spare himself, and many did not understand why an architect spends so much money, time and effort on construction, because the tops of towers could not even be seen from the ground. Gaudi replied: "If people do not see, then the angels will see."

Barcelona grew. The temple grew with it. It was conceived to build three facades: Passion, Christmas and the Glory of Christ. The architect knew that such a short period of time as human life would not be enough to realize the grandiose idea. He had to decide which of the three architectural elements to erect first. And he made a choice in favor of the facade of Christmas, because some scenes of the crucifixion of Christ could frighten the inhabitants, and their opinion was extremely important, because the construction was carried out only for donations. During the years 1909-1910. At the church built a church-parochial school, again on the idea of Gaudi. Initially, it was erected as a temporary building, so it had no load-bearing walls, and internal partitions were easily removed, which could easily change the layout of the space. To our days, unfortunately, the exact image of the school has not been preserved.

The death of the architect

November 30, 1925, the construction of the facade of Christmas was completed, Gaudi was going to start erecting the remaining parts of the building. During the years of the architect's work, a unique landmark was acquired by Barcelona - the church was decorated with Catholic Catholic sculptures and symbols, texts from liturgies and the Gospel. All turned upside down the ill-fated day of June 7, 1926. 73-year-old Antonio Gaudi shot down a tram when he went to church for service. The architect was very poorly dressed, he was mistaken for a tramp and did not even bother to take him to the hospital. June 10, 1926, a little before he reached the 74th anniversary, Gaudi died. A great man lost Barcelona! Sights created by his hands, today seeks to visit millions of people, without them it is simply impossible to imagine the city. And this is not only the Sagrada Familia, although, of course, it is the chief creation of the architect. Here he was buried - Gaudi was buried in the still unfinished building of the Sagrada Familia.

Continuing the Antonio case

Construction of the church after the death of the master did not stop, he continued the talented student of the architect - Domenech Supranes, who worked with Gaudi since 1902. Already by 1930, the other two facades were erected, they, like the first, were decorated with paintings, texts of the Holy Scriptures and sculptures. However, hard times followed. The lack of money donations, impending world and civil wars led to the fact that the construction of the temple was practically stopped, until 1952. Then the construction of the building was resumed, but, despite the fact that for several decades the work has been going on continuously, until the final completion of the plan, Antoni Gaudí is still very far away. It is necessary to finish building four 120-meter towers dedicated to the evangelists Mark, John, Matthew and Luke. On the 170-meter tower of Christ, according to the architect's idea, it is necessary to establish a cross, and on the remaining four - grape clusters, as a symbol of the Sacrament. If no unforeseen circumstances arise, and the erection will be carried out according to the plan, by 2026, which began its existence as far back as the century before last, the greatest construction will finally be completed. The end of the grand construction is waiting not only for Barcelona. The temple is helped to build people from all over the world, donations are carried out by both Christians and representatives of other faiths. So, recently there has been a significant inflow of cash from Japan.

Church of the Sacred Heart

Truly unique has Barcelona attractions. Photographers with world names come here to capture this both ancient and modern city with outstanding architecture. However, it will not be possible to make a complete presentation about the capital of Catalonia, if you do not climb Mount Tibidabo and from the observation deck do not enjoy the stunning views of the city. It is here that the temple of the Sacred Heart is built, and above it rises the figure of Christ, hands hugging the whole world.

History and decoration of the church

In Latin, the name of the mountain Tibidabo sounds like "I'm giving you". If you believe the legend, it was from the top of this mountain of Jesus Christ that the devil was tempted, showing all the earthly beauties. The expiatory temple of the Heart of Christ is at the very top of Tibidabo, therefore it is visible from every corner of Barcelona. The church was designed and built in 1902 by the architect Enrique Sagnier. The construction of the church in 1961 was completed by his son, Josep.

The Temple of the Sacred Heart is decorated in Romanesque and Gothic styles. In the decoration there are all attributes of these architectural directions - and triangular elongated porticoes of the facade, and roses above the entrances, and peculiar windows and arches. The lower crypt consists of five naves with ellipsoidal apses, they also serve as a platform for the upper room, where two solid stairs lead. A real decoration of the interior of the church is a multicolored mosaic - a kind of tribute to the traditions of Byzantine art. In the icons of the temple, plot lines from the newest history of Spain can be traced, on them all people are represented in modern clothes. Gothic elements - narrow windows, turrets directed towards the sky, pointed arches, carved fine details of furnish - give to church weightlessness and grace, but thus sculptural compositions create mood of majestic solemnity. The facade of the building is decorated with the creations of the Catalan master Eusebi Arnau - statues of saints James and George, as well as the Mother of God, and the upper part of the temple is represented by compositions of another skilful sculptor, Josep Miret. The central spire of the church is crowned with a golden statue of Christ, similar to the world-famous Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro. At the base of the sculpture is the highest in Barcelona observation deck, from where you can see a breathtaking view of the boundless Mediterranean Sea and the capital of Catalonia, washed by its gentle waves.

Cathedral (Catedral de Barcelona)

The map of the city's attractions necessarily includes the Cathedral of Barcelona, the second name of which is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. In this magnificent temple pilgrims of the whole world send their footsteps, for it is in it that the relics of the holy martyr Evlalia of Barcelona, who died at the age of 13 in 304 from the Nativity of Christ, rest. In the 4th century, when Eulalia lived, there was paganism in the land of Catalonia, but the girl revered faith in Jesus, for which she was burned. From the mouth of the martyr before the death a pigeon flew out, and at the same time snow fell on the executioners. Several centuries passed, and Eulalia was ranked among the saints and christened the patroness of Barcelona, in her honor in the center of the Gothic quarter was erected the main cathedral of the city.

Catedral de Barcelona (pictured below) is filled with many relics of historical and religious values. Its territory began to take its present form from 1268, when they built the chapel. Since the first half of the 15th century this is an undeniable decoration of the city. The construction of the temple lasted 122 years, the building was erected directly on the ruins of the Roman basilica. Individual elements, for example, the spire, were carried out much later. Today, tourists arriving in Barcelona can appreciate the greatness of the structure and the thoroughness of the execution of every detail. White geese are walking around the inner courtyard adjoining the cathedral - it is a symbol of the purity of Eulalia. Inside the building there are Christian shrines: the remains of the Holy, resting in the sarcophagus, and the image of Jesus from the ship that participated in the Battle of Lepanto. Barcelona Cathedral is a monument of art and history of national importance. St. Eulalia is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox, therefore the temple is notable for representatives of both denominations. In addition, Catedral de Barcelona serves as the residence of the Archbishop of Barcelona.

Church of the Holy Virgin of the Sea

The second most significant religious building after the Cathedral in the Catalan capital is the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. It is located in the historic port area, the Ribera district, where sailors, merchants and noblemen lived during the heyday of trade. In their honor, over the labyrinth of medieval narrow streets, a church was erected. The foundation of the creation of the architect Berenguer de Montagut was laid in 1329, and already in 1383 the construction was completed. Earlier, when due to natural deposits the sea had not yet receded so far, the basilica stood near the water itself. On the tympanum of the portico, we can distinguish the so-called Deesis - the figure of Christ sitting on the throne, on the sides of which are Mary and John on their knees. The fire, which occurred in 1936, destroyed many sculptural compositions, and, except for these figures, only the statues of Paul and Peter survived. Very interesting are the figurative images that adorn the stones of the vault. First of all, this is a statue of Mary (Madonna) above the main altar, at the feet of which there is a sculpture of a sailboat, which is an allegorical autograph of the architect of the basilica. To the right of the church a memorial in the form of an amphitheater was built on a small square. On the walls, a dedication was made to the Catalans, who died during the battle with the army of Philip V in 1714.

Orthodox Church in Barcelona

Since 2002, the Russian Orthodox Church has been operating in the capital of Catalonia. Initially, services were held in the chapel of Santa Maria Reina, and on certain days - in the monastery of Montserrat and the Cathedral of Barcelona. However, the premises allocated to the parish were not enough for an ever-growing number of parishioners, which raised the issue of finding a separate building with office space where an iconostasis could be installed and church utensils stored . For these purposes, the abandoned church of St. George, built in the neo-romantic style in the middle of the twentieth century, was given to the leasehold of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2011. Now it is the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos - an Orthodox church in Barcelona, where every believer can come, by the will of fate found himself on the land of Catalonia.