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.All Trips / Europe / Spain
Doors of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
One of my favorite buildings in the world is La Sagrada Familia. In today’s post I thought I’d share photos of some of the doors and entrances to this beautiful (still unfinished) cathedral.
The photo above features what will be the cathedral’s main entry when the building is completed, and is known as the Doorway of Majesty.
The first completed entrance to the cathedral was themed after the Nativity, and the doors at this entrance show some imaginative details:
Even this more traditional cathedral entrance has an interesting skylight feature….
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Tagged architecture, Barcelona, Cathedral, doors, Gaudi, La Sagrada Familia, portals
.All Trips / Europe / Spain
The Beauty of Stained Light, La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
One of the most written about tourist attractions in Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia, Modernitme architect Antoni Gaudi’s last greatest project and perhaps the most unique cathedral in the world. And it is magnificent, as you can see from the photos below.
Instead of sharing details of the church’s unusual architecture and style in this post, I wanted to highlight what was most memorable to me. We visited in the afternoon, and the sunlight was bathing through the windows, especially those facing west. The light coming through the stained glass was as lovely as any I’ve ever seen, and I stop many times to enjoy it’s beauty. Gaudi himself said, “Sunshine is the best painter”.
(Stained Light La Sagrada Familia)
The stained-glass windows …
Tagged Barcelona, Cathedral, La Sagrada Familia, light
.All Trips / Argentina / South America
The Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires
The Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires) faces Plaza de Mayo, near the heart of the city, and is close to the Presidential palace, Casa Rosada. This is the church where before 2013 Pope Francis served as Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio. The church now houses the Pope Francis Museum featuring personal and religious artefacts belonging to the Pope, but we visited before this Museum had opened so I can’t comment on it.
A church was first built on this site in 1593 and it has been redesigned and updated seven times since. Construction on the current church was started in 1752 but not completed until the mid-nineteenth century, and the facade was finished in the early 20th …
.All Trips / Europe / Italy
Catania’s Great Cathedral, Sicily
Catania Cathedral faces the city’s main square, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
As you stand in Catania’s main square and look at the exterior of the cathedral, you’ll be impressed by its beautiful Baroque features. The many lovely marble figures decorating the exterior and grounds of the building add to its uniqueness. It’s easy to see why the cathedral is one of Catania’s most popular buildings — both during daylight hours and at night.
Catania Cathedral is also known as Saint Agatha Cathedral in honor of a young Christian martyr named Agatha who was killed at this site in the third century. Agatha was said to have been a beautiful and pious young girl born into a good family. …
.All Trips / Europe / Sweden
A Visit to the Stockholm Cathedral
Stockholm has a fascinating medieval Cathedral known as Storykyrkn (the great church), which is dedicated to St. Nicholas. It was built in 1279 on the highest hill in the old city, on an island called Stadsholmen. Originally Catholic, the Cathedral has since 1527 been a Lutheran church. It’s located next to the Royal Castle in Stockholm’s old town (Gamla Stan) and has born witness to many of the highlights of Swedish history. It’s still an active church, with religious services and concerts, and places for meditation and prayer. The wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel took place here in 2010, as did her parent’s wedding in 1976….
.All Trips / Europe / Luxembourg
This was the Notre-Dame Cathedral (also called the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin), which was built between 1613 – 1621 by the Jesuits as the …
Luxembourg City’s Notre-Dame Cathedral
It was a cold rainy spring day when we visited Luxembourg City, admiring it’s tremendous ramparts and fortified walls and enjoying its historic charm. During our wandering, we came across a rather large church and as we were wet and cold, thought it might be a good opportunity to go inside, look around some, and dry out a bit.
There is a lovely statue of Virgin and Child positioned between the doors which you’ll see as you enter the cathedral, a statue which had a “newish” feel to it, although I’m not certain when it was crafted.
Lion Fountain outside the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg
This was the Notre-Dame Cathedral (also called the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin), which was built between 1613 – 1621 by the Jesuits as the …
.All Trips / Europe / Spain
Barcelona’s Other Cathedral
If you’re in Barcelona, then you absolutely MUST visit the still unfinished Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Gaudi’s masterpiece. It’s a church unlike any other and must be experienced in person. But if you have time, then by all means you should also visit the historic and beautiful Barcelona Cathedral. It’s also a busy place, with many people waiting in line to enter.
Main entrance to the Barcelona Cathedral
Barcelona Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, is a lovely Gothic construction. The site where the Cathedral currently sits has been home to various Christian temples dating to the fourth century. Construction of the Cathedral you visit today began in 13th century and it was mostly completed by the 15th century. …
Tagged Barcelona, Barcelona Cathedral, Cathedral, cloister, Gothic, Saint Eulalia
.All Trips / Europe / Italy
Doors of Milan’s Duomo
Construction of Milan’s great Cathedral (Duomo) began in the late 14th century and continued for half a millennium. One of the last details to be completed were the main central entry doors, which date to the late 1800s.
The church is lovely and its grand entry doors fit well with the overall opulence of the structure. They are often admired, but only rarely opened. These doors were crafted between 1894-1908 by Italian sculptor Ludovico Pogliaghi, themed on “stories from the life of Mary”. Here are some of the features and panels which caught my eye.
The doors are busy and it’s easy to overlook the many exquisitely detailed panels in it. including scenes of Jesus’ life and death, as well as those …
