Description of the attraction
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is an incredibly beautiful Redemptive Temple of the Heart of Christ, located at the very top of Mount Tibidabo and visible from every point of Barcelona and the entire coast of Catalonia.
The idea of creating the Temple originated at the end of the 19th century. The place for its construction was chosen symbolically - after all, the name of Mount Tibidabo comes from the Latin "tibi dabo", which means "I will give you" and means all earthly riches and joys visible from the top of the mountain, with which Christ was tempted by Satan. Construction began in 1902 under the direction of the architect Enrico Sagnier y Villiavecchia. Enrico's son, Jose Maria Sagnier, continued his father's work and completed the construction of the temple by 1961.
The basilica building is made mainly in Romanesque and Gothic styles. Its lower part is a monumental square crypt with three apses and majestic towers, serving as the basis for the upper church, made of light stone, to which two staircases lead. The arched entrance to the crypt is decorated with mosaics.
The facade of the church is made in such a way that it seems as if the building is striving upward, to heaven. This is facilitated by pointed arches, narrow windows, turrets, directed upwards and giving the church some grace. The building of the temple is decorated with majestic statues of the Virgin, the Apostles, as well as the patrons of Catalonia. The central tower of the church with an octagonal dome is crowned with a gilded statue of Christ, depicted with outstretched arms, as if ready to take the whole world under his protection.
Inside the church, above the main altar, is a large crucifix by Joan Puigdollers. The windows are decorated with thematic stained-glass windows of extraordinary beauty.
The crypt room consists of five naves, separated by columns, the widest of which is the central one, with a semicircular apse. The walls and vaults are lined with alabaster and decorated with colorful mosaics depicting biblical subjects.
