Barcelona has many cultural and historical treasures of lasting value for all humanity. Here is an amazing monumental architectural complex, the face of which is the Church of the Holy Family by the brilliant master Antonio Gaudi. The city can be proud of other objects of no less grandiose beauty and scale. Today we are going to explore one of them - the Temple of the Sacred Heart. Driving along the coast, you will notice that the temple crowns the highest point of Barcelona - Mount Tibidabo, connecting it with the sky. What fascinating stories and extraordinary signs of the times does this heavenly temple keep within its walls? Let's go on an exciting journey through the centuries right now!
Journey into the past
Each building has its own special interesting story, which cannot be ignored. Several centuries ago, the land at the top of Mount Tibidabo frightened people with its remoteness and the difficulty of climbing it. But after a while, the Catholic Committee decided to use this land to build the greatest Catholic church, the location of which would emphasize its divine significance.
In 1886, the purchased land was transferred to the famous philanthropist San Juan Bosco, and in the same year a small chapel was built on the top of the mountain, which was destined to become the ancestor of the Temple of the Sacred Heart. The philanthropist wanted to continue the then popular tradition of building churches of the Sacred Heart of Jesus around the world, famous representatives of which are the temples in Paris (Sacré-Coeur Basilica) and Rome. Construction began in 1902 by the architect Enrique Sanier and was completed by his son in 1961. Due to a change in the architect, the original design was slightly modified. Construction, which lasted more than half a century, should not surprise us, because we know that the Church of the Holy Family continues to be built to this day.
Modern life of the temple at the top
After a short excursion In history, it's time to return to the present and go to the top of Mount Tibidabo. There are three ways to do this.
- 1st: direct bus T2A from Plaza Catalunya (the stop is located on the corner of Plaza Catalunya and Rambla, opposite the Desigual store). The bus runs from 10:15 with a 20-minute break every day when the amusement park, which is also located on Mount Tibidabo, is open. Ticket price: 2.95 euros one way.
- 2nd: by FGC train on line S1 or S2 to Peu del Funicular station + Valvidrera funicular to Valvidrera Superior stop + bus 111 (every 30 minutes).
- 3rd: by FGC train on line L7 to stop Av. Tibidabo + tourist tram Tramvia Blau to the funicular stop + Tibidabo funicular. Ticket price: train – 2.15 euros one way; tram – 5.5 euros one way; Tibidabo funicular – 4.4 euros one way.
You won’t be able to look into the temple for a minute, because its structure already fascinates from the outside with its shape and an endless number of curious details. The majestic temple consists of three fundamental parts. The lower part is the so-called crypt, or crypt, built of brown stone from Montjuïc Mountain and combines several styles: Romanesque, neo-Gothic and modernist. Above the crypt is a temple building made of gray and white stone. It is covered by a dome topped with a bronze statue of Christ with arms outstretched to the world, created by the Catalan sculptor Josep Miret.
From the main facade of the crypt, sculptures of the Virgin of Merced and Saints George and Santiago look at us, and from the central facade of the temple - the Archangel Michael and San Juan Bosco. The small chapel, from which the construction of the temple began, has been preserved and is located next to its majestic brother. Two circular stairs lead guests to the upper terrace, on which the temple itself is located. You can also go to the temple by elevator (the cost is 2 euros).
First, let's go into the crypt and from there we'll go up to the temple. Every detail of this majestic complex carries a special meaning that you will have to unravel: the bas-reliefs of the crypt tell the story of the Stations of the Cross, the frescoes tell the story of the earthly life of Christ, and the stained glass windows bear images of Spanish saints and biblical scenes.
The crypt and temple are decorated with huge columns, arches, sculptures and colorful mosaics. Pieces of brightly colored glass are arranged into huge patterns, creating beautiful stained glass windows. When designing, sculptor Eusebi Arnau laconically combined the basic forms of the Romanesque style with Baroque details and added natural motifs. Sunlight, penetrating inside through the drawings under different angles, creates an incredibly bright and cozy atmosphere inside.
If you enter Barcelona from the coast, Mount Tibidabo will appear almost immediately; at its top stands the Church of the Sacred Heart, which is crowned with a statue of Christ with his arms spread wide over the city.
Mount Tibidabo and the Temple of the Sacred Heart
Both the temple and the mountain are a place where pilgrims and tourists strive. For pilgrims, Mount Tibidabo is significant because the events that took place on it in biblical times are described in the Holy Scriptures. And the temple is a place for them fervent prayer.
Tourists flock to the mountain to admire the extraordinary panoramic view to Barcelona. And the temple is a building that amazes with its unusual architectural design.
- TV tower;
- Romantic gardens;
- mechanical toy museum;
- amusement park;
- Temple of the Sacred Heart.
Anyone who has read the Gospel remembers the story of the temptation of Christ and knows that the place where Satan tempted Jesus for the third time is not indicated. Therefore, they believe that these events took place on a mountain in the vicinity of the city of Barcelona. The mountain was named after the saying from the Bible “I give you”, in Latin it sounds like this: tibi omnia dabo. Hence the name of the mountain - Tibidabo.
Tibidabo beautiful and by itself. It is densely overgrown with pine trees, bizarre exotic plants. There are many paths, picturesque paths, romantic thickets.
Temple of the Sacred Heart– the most important attraction on the mountain. In the Middle Ages, a tradition arose among Catholics to honor the Heart of Christ in a literal, and not in a symbolic, sense. In 1856, the Pope established the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
At the same time, a fashion appeared for such names for temples. Temples of the Sacred Heart have appeared in many countries. A cathedral with the same name also appeared in Spain.
Helpful information
In Plaça Catalunya there are constantly organized excursions to Tibidabo. They last 5 hours. The excursion includes:
- trip to excursion bus roundtrip;
- tour of temple;
- climb to observation deck ;
- free time for amusement park.
There is an amusement park on the mountain, with extraordinary openings in this park. scenic view to the temple and surrounding area. The other attractions are also very interesting. When going to the mountain, it is worth setting aside time to visit this park.
There is also an observation deck with a magnificent view on the television tower; tourists are also allowed there.
When going on an excursion to the mountain, you should take care food, since there are only shops and cafes where there is nothing but chocolate, water and coffee.
In that video you can see the Church of the Sacred Heart closer:
The Temple of the Sacred Heart is located on the highest point of Barcelona - Mount Tibidabo. Walking through the streets of the capital of Catalonia, sooner or later you will notice an alluring basilica on a mountain ridge; and even if religious buildings do not interest you at all, and the Sagrada Familia has, naturally, already been visited, then it will be difficult to refuse the opportunity to take a look at the entire panorama of Barcelona. Although the temple, built in a mixture of modernism and neo-Gothic style, is very beautiful, both outside and inside, and clearly deserves attention, it is not just another basilica.
The Basilica of Sagrat Cor consists of two levels: the lower one is the crypt and the upper one is the church. After viewing the luxurious interior decoration take the elevator to the observation deck and from a height of about 540 m above sea level enjoy the views of the city and the statue of Christ crowning the basilica.
As you know, churches and cathedrals are never built in an ordinary place. The name of Mount Tibidabo is formed from the merger of two Latin words "dabo tibi", taken from the Gospel of Matthew and meaning "I will give to you." According to the New Testament, Jesus, after his baptism, retired to prepare for the fulfillment of his mission on earth for a forty-day fast in the desert, where the devil tried to tempt him with hunger, pride and faith. "I will give you all this if you bow to me."
The 5 naves, separated by columns, are covered with colorful frescoes.
The windows are decorated with stained glass with scenes from biblical scriptures and images of Spanish saints.
I arrived at Tibidabo on the last funicular, so there were almost no tourists in the temple. And the Catalans too, by the way. You could walk around calmly and look at the details of the basilica in silence.
In addition to the elevator, you still have to climb a spiral staircase. On the way back, I spent a long time reclining on the floor and filming it. I couldn’t choose one frame from the successful ones, so I left two.
On the facade there are statues of saints, patrons of Catalonia and Spain. Under their careful supervision, everything in sunny Barcelona should be in order. And the white stone from which the church is built symbolizes cleansing from sins.
The statue of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms crowning the central tower makes us draw analogies with famous statue on top of Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.
No matter which way you look, there is beauty everywhere!
The sun-drenched city itself is in full view. And for these views it was also worth climbing here. Only since I arrived on the last funicular, and after examining the basilica I couldn’t find any transport, I then had to walk along the highway down the mountain for a very long time and look for a metro station in a residential area in the twilight.
The Temple of the Sacred Heart in Barcelona is a sacred place for many pilgrims, like the entire Tibidabo mountain. Important events events that happened on it are described in the Holy Scriptures. The Temple is also a wonderful landmark of Catalonia, as it offers a picturesque panorama and amazes with its architecture.
History of the construction of the Temple
Due to its convenient location, the slopes of Mount Tibidabo attracted many. It was planned to build various entertainment establishments on the top, but the land was bought Catholic priests and decided to build on sacred mountain temple.
The first chapel on the summit was built in 1886. It combined Gothic and Moorish architectural trends, popular during that period. At the end of 1902, larger-scale construction began. Under the influence of Pope Pius IX, churches of the Heart of Jesus Christ arose throughout Europe and this temple was no exception.
The first design of the temple was created by Enric Sagnier. He also supervised the construction in the early years. Construction was long, lasting almost 59 years and was completed at the end of October 1961. IN last years The architect of the temple was Enric's son, Josep Sanier. On October 29, 1961, the current Pope consecrated the temple and named it the Minor Papal Basilica.
During the construction period, many joyful and tragic events occurred in Barcelona. The Tragic Week (1909) is especially often mentioned. At that time, Catalan rebels were opposed to the authority of the church and burned many churches on their land. Often the clergy themselves died in the fire. In memory of those events, since 1910 the temple began to be called expiatory, as the Catalans atone for their sins before God.
Exterior design
to his appearance The Temple of the Sacred Heart symbolizes the process of purification of the soul. At the entrance there is a low crypt made of dark stone with low arched vaults. It symbolizes the sins that a person acquires during his earthly life. The lighter, more elevated outlines of the basilica symbolize the process of purification and the soul’s desire for God. The statue of Christ, which towers over the entire city, resembles the ascension of the soul to heaven, into the arms of the Almighty.
The entrance to the crypt is located to the left of the central facade. Nearby there is a souvenir shop and a shop with religious goods. The crypt building is surrounded by wide rounded staircases. You can climb them to the Basilica. In the middle of the right staircase is the entrance to a small chapel, which has been preserved since 1886. It is the first religious building on the top of Tibidabo. The top steps offer one of the first beautiful views of Barcelona.
The central entrance, which is reached by a wide staircase, is also open to visitors. On either side of it there are 4 columns, symbolizing the authors of the four Gospels:
- Luka - a statue of a calf;
- Mark - a statue of a lion;
- John - a statue of an eagle;
- Matthew - statue of an angel.
On both sides of the entrance you can see the figures of the patron saints of Catalonia, glorified in numerous legends. The statue of the conquering dragon of St. George is installed on the left, and on the right is the statue of St. James, who liberated Catalonia from the Moors. Barcelona's patron saint, Our Lady, is located just above the main entrance. Above the statues there is a semicircular arch covered with mosaics. The painting depicts Spanish kings, patrons of the arts and other important persons in the image of saints.
There are three entrances in the central façade of the basilica. Each of them is crowned with a stained glass window depicting important events for Christians. For example, the one on the right depicts the moment when Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil. Engraved at the bottom is the famous phrase “tibi dabo”, which gave the name to the mountain.
The crypt also has several entrances. The closest one to the souvenir shop is located on the elevator landing. By elevator, tourists can go up to the observation deck above the church and once again explore Barcelona from a bird's eye view. The highest point of the mountain is at an altitude of 512 m above sea level, and the observation deck above the Temple was built 27 m higher.
Along the perimeter of the round observation deck there are 12 statues symbolizing the apostles. The narrow one begins from here spiral staircase, which takes tourists to the foot of the statue of Christ. In addition to the panoramas of the city, the unusual perspective of the Savior is striking. The famous sculptor Josep Miret contributed to the statue in its current form.
Decoration of temple buildings
A special role in the construction of temples is given to the crypt. This is a low structure, often sunk into the ground. It symbolizes the refuge of the first Christians who had to escape from the Romans in the catacombs. In the arch above the entrance there are beautiful stained glass windows, also dedicated to the history of Christianity. The walls of the crypt at the Temple of the Sacred Heart are decorated with beautiful mosaics illustrating scenes from the Gospel. Semicircular niches with arched vaults are dedicated to five altars. Each altar is built in honor of a different saint or sacred event:
- Sacrament;
- The Virgin Mary;
- Anthony;
- Joseph;
- Virgin of Montserrat.
The inner perimeter of the crypt is decorated with alabaster stucco and frescoes that tell the story of the Way of the Cross.
In the right wall there is a door through which you can enter a small chapel from the crypt. It was dug in Mount Tibidabo in the late 40s of the last century. The chapel is dedicated to eternal worship. Its ceiling is decorated with frescoes, the walls are decorated with bright mosaics, and the floor is made of marble slabs. People enter the chapel premises not for a tour, but to pray.
The crypt also has several entrances. The closest one to the souvenir shop is located on the elevator landing. By elevator, tourists can go up to the observation deck at the top of the church and once again explore Barcelona from a bird's eye view.
Interior decoration
From the inside, the basilica is a spacious room with light walls and high vaults. There is a crucifix above the main altar. Even higher up you can see windows with beautiful stained glass inserts. There are two more smaller altars in the basilica. The left one is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Near it there are 5 stained glass windows depicting the Holy Virgin in various guises, as she is represented in Spanish-speaking countries. At the right altar there are 4 more images of the Virgin Mary and a statue of the risen Jesus.
At the top, not far from the choir area, there are statues and stained glass windows of the founders of the temple, canonized as saints. If you look at the highest point of the dome, you can see 8 windows. Described on stained glass earthly life Jesus Christ. True, the windows are located quite high, so it is quite difficult to see the details.
At the left exit of the basilica there is another stained glass window with the words “tibi dabo”. Here Jesus himself pronounces them, addressing Peter. He promises to build a temple and give the apostle the keys to the gates of heaven.
How to get there?
You can get to the foot of Mount Tibidabo by metro line L7. The tourist bus and Tibibus go here from Plaza Catalunya. A cable car takes tourists to the top of the mountain. From the final station to the entrance to the temple you can walk in 5 minutes.
Entrance to the temple is free. Anyone can tour the sights and light a candle for a small donation. Near the candles there are leaves with the texts of prayers for different languages, including Russian. To use the elevator to the observation deck, you need to pay 2 euros to the employee who is constantly in the booth. The temple is open daily from 7:00 to 22:00, but the elevator closes half an hour earlier.
Basilica of Tibidabo, which is officially called " Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus", is located in the Sierra de Collserola mountain range and is visible from all over Barcelona. This catholic church and the small basilica stands on the very high peak massif - Mount Tibidabo at an altitude of 518 meters above sea level.
The idea of construction catholic church on the top of the mountain dominating Barcelona, appeared at the end of the 19th century, when in 1876 the organization “Catholic Knights” (cat. Junta de Cavallers Catòlics) decided to acquire two plots of land on Tibidabo. Exactly ten years later, in 1886, he visited Barcelona for a month John Bosco- Catholic missionary, canonized after his death. Since Bosco was the initiator of the construction of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rome, it was decided to give the new church in Barcelona the same name.
First a tiny one was built chapel, the first stone of which was laid on May 30, 1886. This eight-meter high Gothic chapel, adjacent to the main temple, still stands. The construction of the Church of the Sacred Heart itself was delayed, and in 1900 all but 6,000 of the land on Tibidabo square meters, reserved for the temple, were sold. It was built on October 29, 1901 funicular to the top of the Sierra de Collserola, and 28 1902, the first stone was finally laid in the foundation of the temple crypt (foundation - chapel).
The main architect of the Basilica of Tibidao was a Barcelonan Enrique Sagner(Enrique Sagnier). He worked on the project until 1931, passing it on to his son, also an architect, Josep Maria, before his death. For his work on this church in 1923, Bishop Guillamet, with the permission of Pope Pius XI, awarded Sagnier the title of marquis.
Useful information about the Church of the Sacred Heart in Barcelona
Location:
Top of Mount Tibidabo; next to the amusement park
How to get there:
By bus T2A from Plaza Catalunya
On the Tibidabo funicular
Other options
Address:
Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona, peak of Mount Tibidabo, Plaça Tibidabo street
Plaza Tibidabo, Cumbre del Tibidabo, Barcelona, Spain
Title in Spanish:
Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor
Title in English:
Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Working hours:
On weekends, services are held at 8:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 17:00, 19:00
On weekdays, services are held at 8:00, 10:00, 17:00, 19:00
Telephone:
(+34 93) 417 56 86 (where 34 is the telephone code for Spain and 93 is the code for Barcelona)
Fax machine:
(+34 93) 434 01 90
Website:
http://www.templotibidabo.info/ (in Spanish or English)
Email:
Coordinates:
41.422176, 2.118889 (paste these coordinates into the Google maps search bar and see the real location of the Church of the Sacred Heart)
GPS: 41°25′19.83″N 2°7′8″E