Barcelona Cathedral

This is the spectacular Church of the Holy Family (Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia), designed by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. The building of the neo-Gothic cathedral was started in 1883 and Gaudi became the official architect. Unfortunately, Gaudi died in an accident in 1926, the cathedral remaining unfinished. Construction work did start again in 1979, much based on Gaudi's original plans.

The style of architecture is quite different from anything else in European church architecture. Gaudi's style has been described as a mix of neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau, but it is also influenced by Cubism and Surrealism.

The photograph on the left was taken by Mr. Hardman when the Creative Arts Faculty and pupils recently (early 2004) visited Barcelona.

Why not visit the Barcelona Cathedral website?