Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Rimontgó

It is hardly possible to think of Barcelona without images of Antoni Gaudi's spectacular architecture springing to mind. This proud Catalan has managed to provide a visual focus for a city that could, in the first place, never have been accused of lacking beauty or character.

A deeply pious man, Gaudi was born in 1852 and was famously killed in 1926 by a tram on his way to Mass at Sant Felip Neri church. The unorthodox architect had suffered from exceedingly poor health throughout his life, yet his religious fervour led him to subject himself to rigorous spiritual challenges that involved strict fasts. Eschewing the trappings of physical beauty that so characterise his creations, Gaudi's appearance was so worn and bedraggled at the time of his fatal accident that he was initially mistaken for a penniless tramp. It was only when a priest from the Sagrada Familia recognised him that staff at the hospital to which his unconscious form was taken realised that their patient was the famous Antoni Gaudi.

Even in spite of the fact that it is still not complete, the beautiful Sagrada Familia basilica has been Barcelona's premier tourist attraction for decades. Begun in 1882, the church was only consecrated last year when Pope Benedict visited the city. Plans have been made to ensure that the building will be completed in 2026, just in time for the anniversary of its creator's death.

By this time, fans of this spiritually fervent man are hoping he will have been declared a saint. Gaudi's beatification has already been set in motion, but religious experts predict that his canonisation may be some way off, since no miracles have been attributed to him. The millions of fans of his architecture will argue that the dizzying form of the Sagrada Familia itself provides all the evidence that is needed!