Barcelona, Sagrada Familia

A most unusual Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family), is being built in Barcelona, and has been under construction since 1884. It was designed by Antonio Gaudí, and a most interesting design it is. Four colossal openwork spires, the tall round towers or spires of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, remind us of the Watts Towers in Los Angeles (perhaps that should be the other way around, but we saw Watts before we saw Barcelona). Only the towers and part of the front are completed, no auditorium — yet. In another hundred years or so, who knows.

The colossal openwork spires, the tall round towers or spires of Sagrada Familia, are remarkable. The curls, ripples, the little undulations or waves on the tower surface, appear to be jagged rock, melted in the sun. If Antoni Gaudí’s original plan is followed, there will be 18 towers some day. Since he did not expect to live until completion, Gaudí left colored drawings of how he wanted it to look.

To get an idea of the size of the towers, below the trees, on the left side of this photo, that is a city bus.