Sagrada Família: Gaudí's Unfinished Masterpiece and Its Polarizing Legacy
The Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Antonio Gaudí's eccentric homage to Catalonia, has been under construction since 1882 and remains unfinished. Gaudí devoted 50 years to the project until his death in 1926. The building has provoked extreme reactions: George Orwell called it "one of the most hideous buildings in the world" and criticized Spanish anarchists for not destroying it during the civil war, while Salvador Dalí praised Gaudí's "supremely creative bad taste" and deemed the building unfinishable without a new genius. Pope Leo is set to bless the basilica on the centenary of Gaudí's death, with faithful lining the streets. The temple, known as the "cathedral for the poor," stands as a stark contrast to modern technocratic public buildings.
Key facts
- First stone laid in 1882.
- Gaudí died in 1926 after 50 years of work.
- George Orwell called it 'one of the most hideous buildings in the world'.
- Salvador Dalí praised its 'supremely creative bad taste'.
- Pope Leo to bless Sagrada Família on centenary of Gaudí's death.
- Building is known as 'cathedral for the poor'.
- Construction likely to take as long again to finish.
- Spanish anarchists did not destroy it during civil war.
Entities
Artists
- Antonio Gaudí
- Salvador Dalí
- George Orwell
Institutions
- Sagrada Família
Locations
- Barcelona
- Spain