La Sagrada Famillia Part III - Cryptogram

One of my friends asked me what a 4 X 4 number board hung outside the Basilica was.  When I bought my admission tickets and walked up to the entrance, I saw it with the geometric statues. I didn't pay much attention, until I visited the Basilica museum.

The museum introduced this cryptogram which was invented by Josep Maria Subirachs.  It is a board with multiple combinations of numbers that always add up to 33.  This is the age of Christ in his death.

If you take a close look, there are two sets of repeated numbers i.e. 10, 14;  When they are added to 48, the same result as the addition of the letters of JNRI [Jesus Nazarenus Rex ludaeorum] according to the numerical order of the Latin alphabet.

La Sagrada Familia Part II

A church is the only thing worthy of representing the feelings of a people, for religion is the highest thing in people. 

Antoni Gaudi

When people is talking about religion, they find it's another way of nagging them, another way of lifestyle or else.  On different perspective, those who devote themselves to their religions or even their church, are really into it.  I am talking about into it, it isn't just into something like a new technology gaget, TV program, gambling or else. These people are really involved wholeheartedly and even express their gratitude in diversified ways.  Antoni Gaudi, an artist? an architect? He is a historic persona who I have recently started to know.  He used his expertise and knowledge to design a church with all the elements relating to the Mother Nature.  His imagination is beyond most people's.  While I still think the classical look of the Catholic churches should be built with nice marble, mosaic and perfectly carved gigantic sculpture.  Antoni's style - La Sagrada Familia is a blast.

One of the Antoni's design is the columns amazes me. Inside the Temple, there are many columns supporting the ceiling. These columns are designed from the inspiration of trees.  They all standing inside the area, form a forest surrounding.  You will see [in the following photos] a round shape on the tree's trunk, which is a scar form by cutting off a branch.   This design is amazingly corporated into the Temple.


In the ceiling, it is full of round shape with zig zag edges. They represent leaves. A canopy of leaves, the branches and the trunks create a natural yet organic environment for believers to shelter us from the sunshine and rain.

Once upon a time, God creates plants, trees, ocean and human beings, basically the Nature. Vice versa, Basilica reflects the human beings create this church figuratively by the use of the Nature [e.g. tree-like columns]. Is this a way of contributing to God back?

Another amazing thing makes me fallen in a deep thought - the building has been continuously built since 1882 along with difficulties and challenges. Nowadays the society has been encouraged with the conception of “multi-tasking” and “efficiency” and finish tasks in a limited of time. It leads us to be less patience, less persistent and less focused. Sometimes an old perspective may not be a worse thing, it may inspire you in meaningful way and appreciate what we have in this moment. 

For more details, please visit at La Sagrada Familia Museum website. 

Please feel free to visit the album of my Facebook page.