BARCELONA, Spain (AP) 鈥� The features sandcastle-like spires, stone carved to look like lush flora, a kaleidoscopic interior and a trove of treasures, some hiding in plain sight. Even regular worshippers at Barcelona鈥檚 world-famous landmark find themselves dumbstruck with wonder.
Josep Turull, the Catalan rector of the Sagrada Familia and the priest in charge of its parish activities, recently granted The Associated Press a private tour to show off his favorite gems ahead of highly anticipated Mass on Wednesday night.
鈥淲e say that one of the elements of the Sagrada Familia Basilica is that you never exhaust it,鈥� Turull said. 鈥淚 have spent the last eight years as its rector, and each day I discover something new.鈥�
1. Enigmas are engraved in the fa莽ades
Each morning, Turull approaches the basilica’s elaborately decorated fa莽ades. They are packed with an abundance of religious scenes and symbols, some easy to interpret for anyone with a basic understanding of Christianity, while others are mysterious and even shocking to see in a church.
The westward-looking Fa莽ade of the Passion is stark, its figures tormented, their bodies strained in angular poses. That was how architect Antoni Gaud铆 wanted it 鈥� 鈥渉arsh and cruel, as if made of bones,鈥� to show the pain and torment of Christ鈥檚 final days.
Decades after Gaud铆’s own death, sculptor Josep Subirachs tempered the fa莽ade’s misery with some playful elements. There’s Gaud铆 himself, above the central door, staring across at Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary. And what’s that suduko-like numbered grid next to Judas kissing Jesus before his betrayal?
The 鈥渕agic square鈥� symbolizes the inevitability of Christ’s death; adding the numbers in any direction always produces 33, Jesus’s age at his crucifixion.
Another puzzle awaits the patient eye that drifts across to the scene of Peter denying Christ: a small, square-shaped labyrinth. Turull said that it alludes to the need to keep faith in God when we feel lost.
2. The tower tops hold cornucopias and real birds of prey
After celebrating Mass, Leo will step outside to offer a blessing for the Tower of Jesus Christ that made the Sagrada Familia the when it was raised in October.
The basilica’s heights are bursting with nature, from the rooster who crowed while Peter denied Christ to reptiles doing the job of gargoyles, and piles of fruit that crown its spires.
There are also flesh-and-blood beasts; a family of peregrine falcons nest in the tower dedicated to St. James, keeping away pigeons and, more importantly, their excrement.
Gaud铆’s masterpiece was chosen as one of the ideal spots to reintroduce the species, as it was one of the last locations in town where these birds nested before disappearing during the 1970鈥檚. The falcons have been breeding successfully at the basilica for over two decades.
Turull said that these lightning-fast birds of prey 鈥渞ecover the cycle of natural life.鈥�
3. The tour goes underground to find Gaud铆’s crypt
For the millions of annual visitors who admire the colored light filtering through , jostle for position to snap selfies and huddle around tour guides, it is easy to overlook what Turull calls its 鈥渟piritual heart.” That requires going through a modest side entrance and descending a staircase.
Underground is a much smaller, more intimate chapel, where dozens of worshippers silently attend Mass and faith manages to keep sightseeing at bay.
Fittingly, it is here where Gaud铆, a fervent Catholic, rests in a discreet tomb set inside a nook. He died exactly 100 years ago to the day when he was hit by a streetcar.
鈥淧eople come to ask for his intercession,鈥� Turull said, gesturing to the tomb interred in the floor. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why there are so many candles. Because people place their trust in him. Many people have received favors for having prayed at the tomb of Gaud铆.鈥�
is in the midst of a decades-long process that could eventually make Gaud铆 a saint. After named Gaud铆 鈥渧enerable鈥� in 2025, the Vatican must now confirm a miracle attributed to his intercession for him to be beatified, then a second miracle for him to be canonized.
The basilica has proposed that the pope pray at Gaud铆鈥檚 tomb during his visit, but whether he does remains to be seen.
4. A seashell for holy water
Before ascending, Turull pauses at an enormous seashell 鈥� a real one, not made of stone 鈥� that serves as a basin for holy water. He said that Gaud铆 had the seashell from the Philippines set in wrought iron and fixed to the column.
鈥淕aud铆 always takes nature as an example,鈥� Turull said, referencing the way the natural world inspired his designs and decorations.
5. A changing room fit for a pope
Up a twisting staircase, a private room bathed in sunlight houses two freestanding oak cabinets laced with intricate ironwork. Designed by Gaud铆, they hold the basilica鈥檚 most precious relics and most important clerical clothing. Among them is chasuble 鈥� a cloak that clergy wear when celebrating Mass 鈥� from when he consecrated the Sagrada Familia in 2010.
This is where Pope Leo will change into a chasuble that is being sewn at a workshop just for this occasion.
Turull said the vestment will feature details symbolizing the day鈥檚 importance and a design related to the basilica’s recently raised Cross of Jesus Christ. But he won’t say anything more for now; some things need to stay secret.
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AP videojournalist Hern谩n Mu帽oz contributed to this report.
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