Located in Barcelona, Spain, the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family) or Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic Church created by architect Antoni Gaudi. Sagrada Familia, also known as the holy family, would be devoted to “The Holy Family” Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph. Despite the church not being fully completed, it is still a top tourist attraction in Spain. The government does not support the project, making the visitors an important source of income. An estimate of 2 million tourists visits this site each year. (9. "Sagrada Familia” “Worldsiteguides.com”). The church is an enormously successful synthesis of bravery, invention, both classical and gothic form, geometry, piety, and of linking our contemporary world and our technologies with an extraordinary historical precedent.
The groundbreaking of the building was in 1882, about 132 years ago, and it still hasn’t been completed. When Antoni died in 1926, the Sagrada Familia was about 25% complete. The construction of the building would continue for 10 more years until it was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Multiple parts of Gaudi’s original model of Sagrada Familia had been lost or destroyed during the war. The anti-religious political atmosphere in Barcelona was not favorable to completing a "church". The group of architects who wanted to complete the church could not decide on how it should be completed. Some early attempts at completion were totally panned by critics or insulted the populace. Since 1940 the architects, Francesc Quinana, Lluis Bonet, Francis Cardoner, and Isidre Puig Boada have carried on the work. (7. "Sagrada Familia." De Barcelona). Since the 1980’s, current de...
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The interior of the Sagrada Familia is extraordinary. It is a kaleidoscope of light, darkness, and form. The ceiling has geometric shapes and fracturing of shapes as color is coming in from the stained glass windows. Many would say that walking into Sagrada Familia is like walking into a stone forest. Light is also entering from the clear glass along the nave and it has the sense of the effect of dappled sunlight coming through a forest. The individual piers, of traditional Gothic architecture, are extremely complex. Each pier is paired with another and within the individual units there is an incredible geometric complexity. The church is an enormously successful synthesis of bravery, invention, both classical and gothic form, geometry, piety, and of linking our contemporary world and our technologies with an extraordinary historical precedent.
In conclusion, I admire the work ethic of the individuals who built this cathedral because it shows work ethic, precise with mathematics, and a strong religious faith. During this Gothic time frame in history majority of their art resembled images that the Holy Bible describes. Religion during this time period was represented very well even experts are still amazed as to how this cathedral were built so tall and high. Even though this cathedral has been exposed to stress, with the assistant with the flying buttress, ribbed ceiling, and metal this cathedral will be an ongoing restorative process so that it will be around for generation here to come to admire its beauty.
On May 13th, 1917 three children were playing games in the field while tending their sheep. Suddenly they saw a flash of light. Thinking it to be lightning, the children gathered the sheep and started for home. They took refuge under a tree about a hundred yards away. They saw a flash of light again. They began running when they saw, standing over a small holmoak tree, a Lady dressed in white more brilliant than the sun.
When entering the Basilica one intakes the view of the catenary arches with light figures hanging down above them as well as beautiful Main Alter with the original paintings and statuary. The first thing at the door of the Basilica is a large black that holds the holy are. On the left there is a gothic style baptisrty The walls of the Basilica are white with several paintings hanging from them. On the right midway though the Basilica stand the Christ of King Shrine against the wall. On the left side midway though the Basilica the entryway to the chapel in which has the “Our Lady Bethlehem Shine”. The Our Lady Bethlehem Shrine is very important to the mission because, “thousands of pilgrims come every year and pray tour Lord through her intercessions.” At the foot of the alter the gave is Junipero Serra is placed, making this Basilica so significant. To the right of the alter there is a glass in casement with the relics of the coffin of blessed Fray Junipero Serra. “The pieces of the original casket which fallen to decay were set aside for safekeeping and now exhibited here in the reliquary.” The exit of the Basilica is on the left hand site at the very front near the alter. This exit then leads to the Mission’s Main
Ziggy Marley once said, “God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.” In the same way, Abbot Suger built the Basilica of St. Denis so that sunlight would flood throughout the building and symbolize the power of God inviting visitors into the cathedral. The Basilica of St. Denis was an artistic response to the rise of the Catholic Church’s power for it was modeled to be a physical representation of heaven, which the church heavily preached upon. (Thesis) As the basilica represented the shift from Romanesque architecture to Gothic, Abbot Suger introduced new techniques that transformed cathedrals to look more spacious and “heavenly”. (Map Statement #1-Art History) By allowing sunlight to come through the large windows, Abbot Suger instilled the Neo-Platonic idea that the sun was the physical representation of God. (Map Statement #2 –Philosophy) Also, at that time, the church was rising in power, so the new structural style of the basilica brought more converts and eventually more power to the church. (Map Statement #3 –Social Institutions) [Insert Literature Map Statement] The Basilica of St. Denis was built so that worshippers would be in awe of the “heaven-like” setting, which would cause more people to declare their faith to God and to the church.
You may think today “Hey, I totally wonder sometimes what the Middle Ages Churches and Gothic Medieval Cathedrals where like. What were they important for? Were they Churches like the ones today? How long did it take to build? “ Well that may be SOME of the questions you may have but you may have more. In this essay you're about to find out why the Medieval Gothic Cathedrals were so important for, and how much rule and and wide range of power they had over the people in the Middle Ages, and last but NOT least, the creative sublime (I’ll delete this comment later on if you see this but “sublime” is my own words not internet word) of the Gothic style windows of the Cathedral. First, the one I like most, the Gothic stain glass windows of the Gothic Cathedral. Stained glass is argued to an opinion or belief, one of the most important aspects of Gothic cathedrals. As its popularity rose, mainly during the mid 12th century, the increased existence of stained glass presented large changes to the way the general residents were learning about the religion. The windows became illuminated optic (“Optic” is my own wording) talk of biblical stories, which may have had an even greater impact than the spoken word of the priest. In this research paper, I will be primarily focusing on the stained glass windows and architectural styles employed in five Gothic buildings in France, each having their own unique and worthy attention and characteristics to the development of stained glass windows. By looking at the architectural improvements shown in these structures built during the Gothic time frame, we are able to see the impact all over the place to itch for increase...
The Gothic style evolved from that of Romanesque, building on concepts and ideas that led to the creation of larger and grander structures. Today, mankind looks in awe at the structures that were built hundreds of years ago without the assistance of modern technology and equipment. These architectural styles are indisputably different, but equally profound. They made use of differing techniques to become tangible structures that can still be seen
Print. The. Mike. The Evolution of Gothic Architecture. Aquinas Multimedia.
The San Vitale is primarily built of brick with a marble and mosaic interior. The ground plan consists of a octagonal organization with a central dome supported by a tall cylindrical drum. Separated by clerestory windows, is a dome in a concentric form of clay tubed rings and seven curved exedras connected to vaulted semi domes. At the main entrance of this chapel is a narthax making it off access from the adjustment apsidal chapels. On either side of the narthax is two projecting towers, one being a spiral stair tower and the other a bell tower. Connecting the central dome area and the ambulatory is 8 strong masonry pillars. The outer prism incorporates two levels of galleries with eccentric mosaics from floor to ceiling. Whether marble or mosaic stone, the monument fills t...
It all leads back to the idea of wonder. When in the Tassel house you may feel the sense of wonderment, and wanting to know what is up that grand staircase, and what else lies ahead in the building. Gaudi’s use of color representation always will leave us wondering as to what the building may look like at different times of the day. The Sagrada Familia with its tall towers, resemble a dripped sand castle or maybe even caves, draw us in from the outside, wondering how it was constructed. Does it resemble a cave on the inside? Is it dark in there? Or is it full of light and ornamentation? These are all things that leave us wondering when it comes to these buildings. The art nouveau movement truly brought a sense of wonder to architecture, and these architects, although very different, shared similar influences and design elements to create wondrous buildings.
... middle of paper ... ... Using sculpture around the Alter of Grace and images on the wall and ceiling he pictures the story of the ’the Fourteen Holy Helpers and gives the kind of imagination to the level of reality as cited by (Lanciani and Rodolfo 1892). All these Baroque architectural elements were applied to the building to get the people attention to the focal point.
The Fragment of a Fresco is a piece that is perfectly balanced with equal proportions divided directly in the center. It is an illusionary view shown through two panels that appear as green tinted glass. Within these panels are scenes of the world outside as if looking through a window. Looking into the left panel, one can see a square temple with ornamental sculpture surrounding the roof. An intricately designed columned porch runs deep alongside the temple. In front of the temple at the base of the panel, is a group of men or boys displaying gestures of joy and happiness. The right panel is filled with a cluster of various buildings including a round temple. The depicted buildings display a view of the elevation and complexity of the design of the city. The buildings are painted using an elaborately layered style that utilizes shadows to show the depth of the city. The upper portions of both panels have faded to the point that the scenes are completely obscured. Directly surrounding both panels is a red border that is plain and non-decorative. Dividing the fresco into the two individ...
In the Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy, there is a cathedral church whose octagonal dome, built without the aid of scaffolding, was considered the greatest engineering feat of the early Renaissance. Dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, Our Lady of the Flower, it is also known as the Duomo, after the Italian word for cathedral. Created by many great Early Modern artists, this piece of architecture is a perfect example the Renaissance style. We can come to a better understanding of why this is so by exploring what the characteristics of the Renaissance “style”. To understand the properties of the Florence Cathedral that fit the Early Modern style, I will begin with a description and its history. The cathedral's architectural style, although greatly influenced by French Gothic elements remained distinctively Florentine, especially the geometric patterns of red, green, and white marble on the building's exterior. Construction of the cathedral began in 1294 on the site of a Christian church founded in the 6th or 7th century and continued until 1436. Several celebrated Italian architects were involved in the project, including Giotto, Arnolfo di Cambio, Andrea Orcagna, and, most notably, Filippo Brunelleschi, who was responsible for designing and building the dome. The cathedral's exterior is ornamented with sculpture and mosaics by Italian artists Donatello, Nanni di Banco, and Domenico Ghirlandaio, among others. The building's stained-glass windows are the work of the Italian architect and artist Lorenzo Ghiberti, and the interior is decorated with sculpture and fresco paintings by several Renaissance masters. Construction of the campanile (bell tower), situated to the right of the entrance to the Duomo, was begun by Giotto and completed according to his plans in 1359, after his death. Nearly 278 ft high, the campanile is embellished with red, green, and white marble panels of relief sculpture by Italian artists Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia, and niches with sculpted figures by Donatello and other masters. Facing the cathedral and campanile is a smaller, octagonal structure, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, noted for its gilt-bronze doors, elaborately worked in high relief by Andrea Pisano and Lorenzo Ghiberti. With that background information about the cathedral, one question comes to mind: what is it that makes the Renaissance style distinct? Renaissa...
To begin with, the history of Christian church architecture is, obviously, a highly complex one, but it is important that one understands the evolution of the floor plans of Catholic churches to see how the changing shapes of churches reflects an extended analysis of Catholic belief and practice. According to Cunningham, the architecture of a church building was designed in a certain way and it had a certain
“The Temple [of The Sagrada Família] grows slowly, but this has always been the case with everything destined to have a long life. Hundred-year-old oak trees take many years to grow tall; on the other hand, reeds grow quickly, but in autumn the wind knocks them down and there is no more to be said"1. These words, spoken by Antoni Gaudi about his life-long work, Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, are a means to justify the extremely long time needed for the construction of the Sagrada Família, while referencing the themes and structural concepts he borrowed from nature in his designs. While this logical explanation may give comfort to some, others doubt the temple’s eventual completion, as its construction has just passed 123 years, with roughly half of the temple completed.1 Although churches and cathedrals have always endured long periods of construction, the plan set forth by Gaudi is of such an elaborate nature as to set the temple in a league of its own. The drive of Gaudi and others involved in the project are very representative of the Catalan people. Catalonia, and specifically Barcelona, has historically been a successful and prosperous region in Western Europe, a leader in politics and trade, but lost much of its importance and independence in modern times. Catalan nationality persevered, and Barcelona sought ways to reaffirm their identity and show the world it is a city rich with life and culture. While many projects would follow, perhaps the best example of this desire to show the world the worth of Catalonia is embodied in the Sagrada Família. The grand magnitude and elaborate attention to detail involved in the construction of the Sagrada Família are a clear portrayal of the ideal of Catalan pride.
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.