Cruising around and through Europe Part 2 – A Day in Barcelona Part 1: This was our only full day in Barcelona, as they had changed the departure port to Tarragona, about 60 miles...

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

This was our only full day in Barcelona, as they had changed the departure port to Tarragona, about 60 miles south, because Barcelona was starting to reduce the number of cruise ships there. We had a good breakfast at the hotel restaurant on the 23rd floor (included in our Viking extension), met with the Viking representative and got a lunch recommendation and dinner reservation from her. We had purchased a tour of Basilica de la Sagrada Familia when we were at home. We took a cab from the hotel to the recommended tapas restaurant around noon and had an excellent meal. We took another cab to La Sagrada Familia for an outstanding tour, one of the best we had on the trip. To say that the cathedral is magnificent is a big understatement. The cathedral is currently the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church. Designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926), his work on Sagrada Família is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.

On 19 March 1882, construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Relying solely on private donations, the Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, revolutionaries set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí's original plans, drawings and plaster models, which led to 16 years of work to piece together the fragments of the master model. Construction resumed to intermittent progress in the 1950s. Advancements in technologies such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) and Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. However, some of the project's greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolizing an important Biblical figure in the New Testament. It was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death, but this has now been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The basilica is not the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, as that title belongs to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Barcelona Cathedral).

See https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html for the opening post of this series

La Sagrada Familia, Basilica of the Holy Family

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In front of the Basilica, a VERY popular place

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One of the Bronze Entry Doors
One of the Bronze Entry Doors...

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Entering the Cathedral
Entering the Cathedral...

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The architectural design is meant to represent the trees in a forest

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The stained glass is different colors, depending on the position of the sun

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pixelmaven Loc: Reno, NV

What a marvelous set! Featuring so clearly Gaudi's amazing style. Kudos on this photographic essay.
😻

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Wow!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Nice architectural work, Dennis!

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

pixelmaven wrote:

What a marvelous set! Featuring so clearly Gaudi's amazing style. Kudos on this photographic essay.
😻

Thank you Laura, I appreciate the kudos. Gaudi was brilliant.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Longshadow wrote:

Wow!

I'm glad you enjoyed it Longshadow. More to come.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

UTMike wrote:

Nice architectural work, Dennis!

I appreciate the compliment Mike.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Fantastic set Dennis. Great close-ups and interior shots. A marvelous piece of architecture!

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

srfmhg wrote:

Fantastic set Dennis. Great close-ups and interior shots. A marvelous piece of architecture!

Thanks Mark. My photos can only convey part of its magnificance; it it truly breathtaking.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

DJphoto wrote:

This was our only full day in Barcelona, as they had changed the departure port to Tarragona, about 60 miles south, because Barcelona was starting to reduce the number of cruise ships there. We had a good breakfast at the hotel restaurant on the 23rd floor (included in our Viking extension), met with the Viking representative and got a lunch recommendation and dinner reservation from her. We had purchased a tour of Basilica de la Sagrada Familia when we were at home. We took a cab from the hotel to the recommended tapas restaurant around noon and had an excellent meal. We took another cab to La Sagrada Familia for an outstanding tour, one of the best we had on the trip. To say that the cathedral is magnificent is a big understatement. The cathedral is currently the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church. Designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926), his work on Sagrada Família is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.

On 19 March 1882, construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Relying solely on private donations, the Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, revolutionaries set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí's original plans, drawings and plaster models, which led to 16 years of work to piece together the fragments of the master model. Construction resumed to intermittent progress in the 1950s. Advancements in technologies such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) and Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. However, some of the project's greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolizing an important Biblical figure in the New Testament. It was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death, but this has now been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The basilica is not the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, as that title belongs to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Barcelona Cathedral).

See https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html for the opening post of this series

This was our only full day in Barcelona, as they h... (show quote)

An amazing place - and your shots have certainly been a boon to those of us who have never been able to travel there to absorb the wonders ⭐🏆🥇🏆⭐

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

joecichjr wrote:

An amazing place - and your shots have certainly been a boon to those of us who have never been able to travel there to absorb the wonders ⭐🏆🥇🏆⭐

Thank you Joe; I'm glad I could help you go there through my lens. Barcelona is one of the great cities in the world.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Thanks for the images and a fine tour of the Cathedral Dennis.

Don

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

PAR4DCR wrote:

Thanks for the images and a fine tour of the Cathedral Dennis.

Don

Thanks Don, I'm glad you enjoyed it. More to come.

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

DJphoto wrote:

This was our only full day in Barcelona, as they had changed the departure port to Tarragona, about 60 miles south, because Barcelona was starting to reduce the number of cruise ships there. We had a good breakfast at the hotel restaurant on the 23rd floor (included in our Viking extension), met with the Viking representative and got a lunch recommendation and dinner reservation from her. We had purchased a tour of Basilica de la Sagrada Familia when we were at home. We took a cab from the hotel to the recommended tapas restaurant around noon and had an excellent meal. We took another cab to La Sagrada Familia for an outstanding tour, one of the best we had on the trip. To say that the cathedral is magnificent is a big understatement. The cathedral is currently the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church. Designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926), his work on Sagrada Família is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.

On 19 March 1882, construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Relying solely on private donations, the Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, revolutionaries set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí's original plans, drawings and plaster models, which led to 16 years of work to piece together the fragments of the master model. Construction resumed to intermittent progress in the 1950s. Advancements in technologies such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) and Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. However, some of the project's greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolizing an important Biblical figure in the New Testament. It was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death, but this has now been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The basilica is not the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, as that title belongs to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Barcelona Cathedral).

See https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html for the opening post of this series

This was our only full day in Barcelona, as they h... (show quote)

Really great set! Glad you booked the tour of the inside as I've not seen it like this before. Antonio Gaudi is one of only a few great architects whose work is recognizable by so many. Post more images of your trip,

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Reuss Griffiths wrote:

Really great set! Glad you booked the tour of the inside as I've not seen it like this before. Antonio Gaudi is one of only a few great architects whose work is recognizable by so many. Post more images of your trip,

Thank you Reuss, I really appreciate your comments. I will post more images of the inside tomorrow and many more of our 33 days in Europe. I am still amazed at the basilica when I look at my photos. I wish we had been able to spend another day in Barcelona to see more of Gaudi's work.