8th Grade Webpage

Symbolism

In La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi put alot of symbolism in the cathedral. Gaudi intended for there to be 18 towers, of which 8 have so far been built. Twelve of these towers represent the twelve Apostles and each one has been named after an Apostle and bears the statue of said Apostle. A 180 meter tower would be in the center with a cross on top to represent Jesus. This tower would then be surrounded by four shorter towers representing the Evangelists, with their animal symbol topping the towers. The last tower would be to the Virgin Mary. La Sagrada Familia has three facades, which also have precise symbolism: the Passion Facade (dedicated to the suffering and death of Christ) on the west, the Nativity Facade (dedicated to the birth of Christ) on the east, and the Glory Facade on the south. On the bases of all the facades are sculptings of turtles, symbolizing the stability of the cosmos.
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