How to get to Sagrada Familia for free?
How to visit the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona for free? Benefits and discounts 2023, current ticket prices. And also: description of the cathedral, history, opening hours.
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Sagrada Familia, is an undoubted architectural masterpiece. And one of the main attractions of the city and Spain in general.
Its full and correct name sounds like this: “The Expiatory Church of the Holy Family.” This is the most significant work of the great Catalan architect Antonio Placido Guillermo Gaudí i Cornet.
And, apparently, the most popular tourist destination in Spain. In any case, we have not yet heard of foreigners who visited Barcelona, but at least from the outside did not see its main church.
Is it possible to combine business with pleasure? That is, to enter inside the Sagrada Familia for free?
It turns out yes. True, not every citizen can do this.
Free tickets to the Sagrada Familia
It is worth knowing that in order to be eligible for the exemption, you must send your request to descomptes@ext.sagradafamilia.org. at least 48 hours prior to the intended visit. Applications are processed only on business days from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Free tickets to the Sagrada Familia today can only be obtained by officially unemployed citizens, members of religious orders, the disabled (as well as the person accompanying them), ICOM members and Barcelona Press Card holders.
At the same time, only 2 tickets can be purchased for persons with limited legal capacity and 2 for accompanying citizens.
Children under the age of 11 enter the Basilica free of charge. Senior citizens receive discounted tickets.
If you have a large family or a single parent family, you can get a 50% discount on visiting the basilica.
If you are a student, you can get a 2 euro discount on your ticket. Don’t forget to take your student ID with you; you may be asked to show it at the entrance. This promotion is valid for national and international students.
Visitors under the age of 30 can also get a 2 euro discount on a ticket. And holders of the Carnet Jove voucher will pay only 50% of the ticket price.
- Detailed information is provided on the official website of the Sagrada Familia:
sagradafamilia.org/en/2022-avantatges-i-descomptes
And we will take your attention to a number of interesting facts. If you arm yourself with this knowledge, then a trip to the famous cathedral will bring much more vivid impressions to your life.
Interesting facts about the Sagrada Familia
The whole life of one of the most original architects ever created in Spain is connected with the capital of Catalonia. Yes, Gaudi left his creations to other cities, but Barcelona was simply treated kindly to them.
Palace Güell on the Rambla, Casa Batlló and Mila on Passeig de Gracia, Parc Güell – these masterpieces of genius are considered the main tourist attractions of the city. But in scope, of course, they are far from the Sagrada Familia.
The construction of the Sagrada Familia Catholic Cathedral began on March 19, 1882, the construction has not been completed to this day. The estimated date of removal of the last scaffolding is 2026, that is, 100 years after the death of the architect.
Antonio Gaudí led the construction in 1883. Moreover, the architect completely reworked the already existing project and devoted the last 15 years of his life to it entirely.
Even during the life of Gaudi, the construction site was called “long-term construction”. To which, as they say, the architect remarked with humor: “My client is in no hurry.”
Towers and facades
The most memorable part of the cathedral are the huge towers. Their total number is eighteen.
Twelve are dedicated to the apostles, four to the evangelists (Luke, Matthew, John and Mark). One – to the Virgin Mary and the highest – to Jesus Christ.
It is remarkable that the height of the tower of Jesus Christ together with the cross is 170 meters. Which is one meter below the highest creation of God in Barcelona, Montjuic hill.
The cathedral has three grand facades: the Nativity, Glory and Passion.
The facade of the Nativity (east) was completed in 1935, almost without changing the ideas of Gaudí. The Passion Facade (western) was built under the direction of Joseph Maria Subirax. And it is often criticized for poor architectural decoration.
The facade of Glory (southern) will be the most monumental of the three – construction is still ongoing.
There are three porticos dedicated to the earthly virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity. And four towers: St. Andrew, Peter, Paul and Jacob! This alone would be enough to decorate any church. But not the Sagrada Familia.
Interior
The whole cathedral is filled with Christian symbols. Any, even the smallest architectural detail of the facade, is full of meaning. The Sagrada Familia is full of symbolism and hidden references inside. Gaudi himself called his creation “the last great refuge of Christianity.”
Inside, to the left of the entrance, all visitors can see Gaudí’s magic square, the meaning of which has not yet been fully unraveled. The sum of all the numbers vertically, horizontally, diagonally, in the inner square is 33 – So many years Jesus Christ lived on Earth.
Disputes about the meaning of this square continue to this day. Although its author seems to have only wanted to remind people of God.
Not a single Spanish government and official church allocated money for the construction of the Sagrada Família temple. The initial stage of construction was financed by private investors. Now construction work continues at the expense of tourism income: more than 2 million people visit the cathedral every year.
Today, tourists can visit the main nave of the church, the crypt, the museum at the cathedral, as well as the towers of the facade of the Nativity and the Passion (lift by elevator to a 65-meter height).
Sad Fact
Antonio Gaudí died on June 7, 1926, when he was hit by a tram at the foot of the Tibidabo hill. He was not immediately taken to the hospital, because the taxi drivers were not going to dirty the interiors of their cars with an untidy, bloodied old man.
The architect died three days later. It is believed that if the help rendered to him was faster, he could have lived for a long time. Gaudí was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia.
Practical information
Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
Opening hours: from October to March 9.00-18.00, from April to September 9.00-20.00, December 25 and 26, January 1 and 6 9.00-14.00
Ticket prices start at €26 per adult (audio guide included). All rates can be viewed here
