Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor: Difference between revisions

Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor

The Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (English: Expiatory Church of the Holy Cross, Spanish: Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón) known as the Sagrat Cor; is a church located on the summit of Mount Tibidabo in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, work by the architect Enric Sagnier and completed by his son Josep Maria Sagnier i Vidal. Its construction lasted from 1902 to 1961.

History

Model of the church.

The idea of building a temple on the summit of the Tibidabo Mountain emerged in the late 19th century to the rumors about the construction of a Protestant church and a hotel-casino, with what a "Board of Catholic Knights" acquire the ownership of the field giving it in 1886 to John Bosco, while was visiting Barcelona then invited by Dorotea de Chopitea great patron and promoter of the project. There arises the idea of a temple dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, invocation in fashion at that time thanks to the impetus of the Pope Pius IX, and in line with the temple built in Rome by Bosco itself (Sacro Cuore di Gesù) and the famous Sacré-Cœur in Paris.

In 1886 its built a neo Gothic hermitage, and two years later, during the Universal Exposition urbanizing the Vallvidrera road and built the hermitage beside a pavilion of Mudejar inspiration, which served as lookout, then struck. However, the project will suffer a significant delay mainly due to the occurrence of a new project to build an astronomical observatory on the summit of Tibidabo, which finally made on a nearby hill (Fabra Observatory). Finally, on December 28, 1902 placed the first stone in a ceremony presided by the Bishop of Barcelona, Salvador Casañas i Pagès.

On October 29, 1961 received the title of basilica minor, given by Pope John XXIII.

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  Saint John Bosco during his visit to Barcelona in 1886.
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  Laying the foundation stone (12-28-1902).
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  Mudéjar pavillion for the 1888 Universal Exposition.
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  The Sagrat Cor in 1931.

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  The hermitage in 1902, before building the temple.
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  The hermitage today, integrated in the temple.

The church

Portico of the crypt.

The external appearance of the church is of a walled fortress of stone of Montjuïc, chaired by a monumental neo-Gothic church with a monumental double staircase air. The complex consists of a lower crypt and upper church with a central sole with a dome on eight columns. The whole style is based on a Romanesque line combined with the temple of Gothic verticality, covered with an octagonal dome crowned with the image of the Sacred Heart, original works of Frederic Marès (destroyed in 1936) and replaced by another of Josep Miret, of 1950.

The crypt was built between 1903-1911, of neo-Byzantine style, combining Gothic and classical elements, and a decoration close to Modernisme. The facade has a richly decorated tympanum with sculptures by Eusebi Arnau representing the Virgin of Mercy, Saint George and Saint James, patron of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, respectively. It consists of three semicircular arches on columns, inserted into a large arch, also semicircular, decorated with a mosaic of the Holy Trinity, by Daniel Zuloaga (destroyed in 1936). In 1955 it became a new decoration by Talleres Bru of Barcelona, which shows an allegory of the devotion of Spain, represented by its patron saints.

The crypt space consists of five naves separated by columns, the central wider, with their semicircular apses. The walls and vaults are lined with alabaster or tile decorated with scenes relating to the dedications of the altars: Santa María Auxiliadora, San Antonio de Padua, Blessed Sacrament, St. Joseph and the Virgin of Montserrat. Polychrome alabaster is also the Via Crucis sculpted by Josep Miret. The windows that bring natural light inside, are complemented by stained glass, with the following topics: the largest arch in the extreme, they represent the appearance of the Virgen del Pilar and Recaredo conversion to Catholicism, San Fernando and San Hermenegildo occupy two large vertical windows, while small located on the door are dedicated to San Joaquin, San Isidro, San Antonio and Santa Isabel of Aragon, Queen of Portugal.

From the crypt you access to a chapel dedicated to the Perpetual Adoration, excavated in the same mountain in the late 1940's, consists of three naves divided by columns. The interior is decorated with marble and mosaics in the pavement, and Miquel Farré paintings in the vaults, made between 1947-1949. On either side of the door two steps lead to the level of the temple itself, crowned by the huge bronze statue of the Sacred Heart made by Josep Miret in 1950, replacing the original Marès Frederic, 1935, destroyed in 1936. The upward direction from the crypt, through the temple until the sculpture reflects the rise and the purification of the human condition through the sacrifice and atonement.

The temple was built between 1915 and 1951, being blessed by Bishop XXXV Modrego the Eucharistic Congress held in Barcelona in 1952. Later became the towers, officially ending the works in 1961. The building is square, from which arise three apses, and presents a large central tower and four low, defining the four corners of the square, in which were placed statues of the Twelve Apostles, Josep Miret. The main facade has three bodies, the wider central, chaired by the figure of the Archangel Michael in the main entrance arch, and San Juan Bosco in the pediment above. On the left door is the statue of St. Teresa of Jesus and on the right, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Above the door is opened a gallery of arches with tracery.

The interior is divided into three naves with semicircular apses, and four stained-glass rose windows on the facades. In the main altar stands the great work of Joan Puig crucifix. The windows of the sanctuary are dedicated to Pius X, St. John the Evangelist, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Paul and St. John Bosco. The left has five stained glass altar dedicated to various Marian devotions, the Virgin of Antipolo (Philippines), Our Lady of Luján (Argentina), the Assumption of Mary, the Virgin of Guadalupe (Mexico) and the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (Cuba .) The right altar is presided over by the risen Jesus, the work of Joan de Puig, and stained glass windows dedicated to Marian devotions Spanish: Virgen de la Almudena (Madrid), the Virgen de Nuria (Catalonia), Our Lady of Hope, the Virgin the Homeless (Valencia) and the Virgen de Begoña (Basque Country).

The windows of the four towers contain the Latin phrase tibi dabo ("I'll give"), by the name of the mountain. At the level of the choir include founding saints: Saint Marcellin Champagnat and San Juan Bautista de la Salle on both sides of the sanctuary, and San Antonio María Claret, San José de Calasanz, San Juan Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello next to the main facade. The windows of the four facades are dedicated to St. Francis de Sales, Pius XI, San Ignacio de Loyola, San Francisco Javier, Pius IX, Santa Rosa de Lima, Leo XIII and Pius XII. The eight stained glass dome depicting scenes from the life of Jesus.

Bibliography

• AA.VV.: Modernisme i Modernistes, Lunwerg, Barcelona, 2001. ISBN 84-7782-776-1
• Barjau, Santi: Enric Sagnier, Labor, Barcelona, 1992. ISBN 84-335-4802-6
• Barral i Altet, Xavier: Art de Catalunya. Arquitectura religiosa moderna i contemporània, L’isard, Barcelona, 1999. ISBN 84-89931-14-3
• Fontbona, Francesc y Miralles, Francesc: Història de l’Art Català. Del modernisme al noucentisme (1888-1917), Ed. 62, Barcelona, 1985. ISBN 84-297-2282-3
• Lacuesta, Raquel: Modernisme a l’entorn de Barcelona, Diputació de Barcelona, Barcelona, 2006. ISBN 84-9803-158-3
• Navascués Palacio, Pedro: Summa Artis. Arquitectura española (1808-1914), Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 2000. ISBN 84-239-5477-3
• Permanyer, Lluís: Barcelona modernista, Ed. Polígrafa, Barcelona, 1993. ISBN 84-343-0723-5

See also

• Enric Sagnier
• Modernisme

External links

• Sagrat Cor official site