The Sagrada Família
“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.
The historical setting at the time of the temple’s birth is extremely important in appreciating its value to the Catalan culture. Catalonia’s legacy as a great power in Europe began to be reduced in the 15th century with the Ferdinand of Aragon’s marriage to Isabella of Castile, at which time Catalonia effectively became part of the Castile state. When the last of the Habsburgs died without a successor, several nations attempted to install their own candidates on the throne. Catalonia sided with the Austrian candidate, Archduke Carlos, who lost to the Bourbon absolutist Felipe V imposed by France. Barcelona decided t...
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...arcelona the chance to demonstrate to the world the pride of the Catalan people. In recent years, Barcelona has turned its attention to another part of the city, where a new waterfront area is being developed along with The Forum and BCN 22@. While each of these projects is a demonstration to the same sense of Catalan Pride which is a driving force behind the Sagrada Família, none comes close to the determined efforts invested in the temple. Speaking of this Catalan pride and the desire to contribute to humanity, Gaudi once said, “This will be the temple of the Catalonia of today. I remember once being told that Catalonia had never been anything historically. And I answered that if this were true it would be more reason to believe that it was still meant to be something and for that we must work.”1
Resources Used:
1 Bonet I Armengol, Jordi, Temple, Sagrada Família,
2 Simonis, Damián, Barcelona, City Guide, Lonely Planet
3 www.gaudiclub.com, Sagrada Família
4 www.gaudiallgaudi.com, Gaudí SAGRADA FAMÍLIA (Holy Family Church)
5 www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/sagrada, Temple of the Sagrada Família by Gaudi
6 www.sagradafamilia.org, Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família
...ligious life of the town of San Miguel and construction of its main temple which from 1872 he was raised to parish. But like everyone, this temple of the Holy Trinity underwent several transformations, for example: in the first decades of the 19th century was built the current altar; and from 1881 to 1897 he received major improvements, like the composure of the entire building, the purchase of pictures, furniture and several sacred ornaments as well as the construction of the chapels of the Tabernacle and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and the arches of the entrance to the former chapel of the Entombment of Christ and the old sacristy; the most recent improvement was made in the last years of the 20th century, and which involved the National Institute of anthropology and history, the Government of the State and the father Carlos Cabrero, responsible for the parish.
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
Two years ago I went to an exhibition in Milan titled: “Artemisia: storia di una passione” (“Artemisia: history of a passion”). The exhibition was sponsored by the Assessorato alla Cultura of the Comune of Milano and curated by Roberto Contini and Francesco Solinas, with the scenographic and theatrical work of Emma Dante.
Built between 1550 and 1570, the Villa Rontonda, a Renaissance villa in Northern Italy, offered a new formula for the ideal Italian villa. The name “Rotunda” refers to the villa's circle within a square design. Palladio carefully used calculated mathematical equations to perfect the symmetry of the villa. Located on a hill, the Villa Rotonda features a centralized plan including four identical facades each with a projecting porch arranged symmetrically around a central round dome. Drawing from classical influences, each portico resembles an ionic temple front and each portico has a pediment adorned with statues. In fusing the temple porch onto a centrally planned dome covered building, Palladio clearly had the Pantheon in mind when designing the villa. Turning to antiquity, Palladio modeled his villa from Roman precedent, using distinctive elements to make his design innovative and contemporary. Like the aforementioned architects, though Palladio relied on classical ideals of symmetry and proportion, his ingenious design of the Villa Rontonda that allowed the landscape to be seen from all four sides of the villa was completely innovative at the time. Likewise, the Villa Rontonda differs from other buildings built at the time with centralistic plan and dome design. Additionally, Palladio introduced an innovation by combining a classic temple with a façade of a house. Traditionally, temple fronts were reserved for churches and public buildings, yet Palladio incorporates religious overtones into an otherwise secular space through adorning the villa with the temple façade. By designing a completely symmetrical building and using through the elegant use of circles and squares, Palladio created a sophisticated construction that emphasized balance and uniformity. Though seemingly simple from the exterior, the Villa
It is often that people consider Filippo Brunelleschi as the most established and influential Architect during the Renaissance era. For others, making a simple mistake of giving him credit for the design and build of the entire Florence cathedral instead of the dome itself. It’s certain that Brunelleschi complete the great dome, but what if the dome was unsuccessful and the classical information was lost. Brunelleschi in this situation couldn’t solve the problem without the research on classical Rome architecture to help him out, for example, harmonious form, mathematical proportion, and unit of measurement based on the human scale. For instance, if all the elements of the ancient information were lost forever, and to never see again. Just picture the Santa Maria De Fiore without a dome structure. The greatest accomplishments in engineering history and form to never exist. This drawing is a drawing is a depiction of that reality being presented. The unfortunate part about this, it was true for Florence to experience a dome-less cathedral in any type of weather before the contest for a commission that Brunelleschi won. During the time, many centuries ago Florence, Italy was a city of visionaries like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo flourished here in an atmosphere that celebrated imagination and innovation. Florence was very big on outshining the competition with visible landmark. The decision on picking the cathedral was simple because of the embarrassment of a big whole open in the structure that couldn’t be done.
The late architect Professor Sir Edmund Happold wrote, “A world which sees art and engineering as divided is not seeing the world as a whole” (Sharpe). With these words he recognized and articulated the importance of interdisciplinarity in regards to art and architecture. When the enduring nature of a literary work combines with the durability of buildings, an even more lasting permanence comes into being. Through an inspired architectural design, Dante Alighieri’s timeless work, the Inferno, has been immortalized in stone. The Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, stands as concrete testament to and celebration of the lasting
In the book “Bless Me Ultima”, by Rudolpho Anaya, there were two families represented, the Marez family and the Lunas family. These two families were very different, but were brought together by the marriage of Gabriel Marez and Maria Lunas. Through the eyes of their son Antonio one may see the comparison of the two. The differentiation of these two families is very clearly noticeable, such as in their personalities, the expression of their religion, and their everyday ways of life.
Everyone in the world belongs to a subculture. Each subculture has its own sets of traditions, relics, and artifacts. Relics and artifacts are symbolic, material possessions important to one's subculture. Relics are from the past; artifacts are from the present. These traditions, relics, and artifacts help shape the personalities of individuals and how they relate with others. Individuals know about these items through storytelling in the subculture. Families are good examples of subcultures. My family, a middle-class suburban Detroit family of Eastern European heritage, has helped shape who I am through story telling about traditions, artifacts, and relics.
...tures are built in the attempt to be noticed for their cultural significance but not as a main religious gathering place, and they both have spacious ambulatories for flow of spectators. Now in contrast of the two monuments, the pair have differences in their imagery, exterior as well as added spacing. The Dome of the Rock has mosaics on its exterior and interior and the mosaics are non representational. The overall shape of the temple is simply a dome on a octagonal base. However, San Vitale has multiple images of figures and animals but excludes it to only its interior. In addition, unlike the Dome of the Rock, its floor plan consists of a narthax, two towers, an apse and two chapels. By studying these monuments, it is possible to understand the importance of religious or cultural imagery as well as limiting materials for construction in these distinctive areas.
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.
THOSE OF US WHO grew up in the 1950s got an image of the American family that was not, shall we say, accurate. We were told, Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, and Ozzie and Harriet were not just the way things were supposed to be—but the way things were
... 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.
It is abundantly clear how Leonardo Bruni feels about the city of Florence. In Panegyric to the City of Florence, he expresses nothing but the highest praise for the city. Every aspect of Florence is backed by a clear reason why it is the best, and there is no other city in the world that can compare. According to Bruni, Florence has extraordinary beauty, architecture, geography, history, government, and people. This, of course, is only one person’s opinion. In the diaries of Buonaccorso Pitti and Gregorio Dati, they too give their opinions on the city of Florence. In general, they do not seem to give Florence the same recognition and praise that Bruni gives.
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...
Barcelona Pavilion is based on an idea from a concept of "less is more" which comes from Mies Rohe. The concept has two parts. Firstly, the structure of buildings should be simplified, so it can be a less barriers space (Figure 5). Secondly, it means that exact design and no superfluous decoration. Barcelona Pavilion influences architectural art style in the twenty century (Xiao,