SPB24 CAE Cultural trip to Sagrada Família

First, the students were gathered in a dedicated room where they were shown a film explaining the origins of the construction of the Sagrada Familia, a short biography of Antoni Gaudi and the characteristics of modernism. After that, the  guide took them outdoors in front of the western front and gave them detailed information about the sculptures on the facade representing Jesus Christ’s Passion. They could also admire the tower dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the  new  towers dedicated to the four Evangelists  inaugurated  a few days before our visit. Inside, the guide focused on the way the architect used the light and colours flowing through the stained glass windows, according to the time of day and mystic meaning.

The students were led to realise how Gaudi’s works are based on the idea that meaning and form are inseparable, how  the architect integrated elements of nature (Mediterranean flowers, plants, cereals, etc…) and how the place is filled with history and symbols. The guide attracted the students’ attention on the columns in the shape of tree trunks making visitors feel like they were deep inside forest rather than a Roman Catholic church. For the four main pillars in the transept supporting the whole structure, Gaudi chose stone coming from Iran because of its hardness and beauty.The visit ended with the east facade representing Nativity. The students were  asked to compare the  facades, with completely different styles.After the visit of the Sagrada Familia, the group walked back to the station and stopped in front of some famous Gaudi’s modernist-style houses.

The students were really impressed by the visit of this monument on the Unesco Heritage list, one of the highest churches in the world. They  realised that they were discovering an unfinished building, in constant evolution. They were struck by the originality of the place, its richness and the difference with the other churches they had seen before. They admired Gaudi’s visionary conception of architecture, an avant-garde artist from the end of the 19th century, more than  one hundred years ago. The feedback on the week showed that for the students, this visit was one of their favourite moments and a unique experience. The students wrote reports and an article was published on the blog