Well, I have officially arrived in Barcelona, and have been taking the week to explore the places closest to my home-stay. This week, I went to the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral. If you’re not familiar with this cathedral, it is Antonio Gaudí’s masterpiece, and construction for it began in 1882! Over one hundred years later, this cathedral is still yet to be completed because of its extreme complexity and detail. The cathedral illustrates scenes from the New Testament with sculptures along the outside walls of the building. The front of the building represents the birth and life of Christ, and follows Gaudí’s original classical-style plans. The back wall that represents Christ’s death, however, does not follow Gaudí’s original plans. Instead, the back has modern-style sculptures that are extremely simplified with more angular edges. The inside of the cathedral is supported with tree-shaped columns, which represents Gaudí’s connection with nature and spirituality.

What I find most interesting about this cathedral is the way that it combines classical and modern styles. Each section of the church has something that is unique, and different than you would see in any other cathedral.