God’s Architect

By Restless [Originally on goofyblog 5.14.07]

Found this great post about 10 Divinely Designed Churches today. I’ve always been fascinated by the works of the Catalan architect Gaudi and used to have a dozen pics of his works up in my apartment in San Francisco, however I don’t know much about the man other than the coolness of his work.

The construction of the Sagrada Familia basilica started in 1882, directed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, who devoted his life to it. When people said that the construction had taken a very long time, Gaudí replied that he was building the church for God, and that his client wasn’t in a hurry. He then became known as “God’s Architect.”

In 1926, Gaudí got run over by a street car. Because of his raggedy attire and empty pockets, no one wanted to take him to the hospital. Eventually, he was taken to a pauper’s hospital where no one recognized him until his friends found him and tried to move him to another hospital. Gaudí refused, saying that he belonged with the poor, and died a few days later.

Because Gaudí refused to work with blue prints, preferring to use his imagination and memory instead, construction of La Sagrada Familia was halted after his death. Part of the church was even burnt during the Spanish Civil War. Construction of La Sagrada Familia was restarted afterwards and continues until today.

The article has 9 other fantastic churches & cathedrals plus some bonus postings. Check it out!

Update: BBC reports La Sagrada Familia is threatened by the construction of a subway very close to the foundation of the cathedral. The cathedral receives over 2 million visitors a year.