The Universe of Discourse


Sat, 13 Jun 2026

Update: Here I am at the Sagrada Família

(Previously)

In 2003 I visited Barcelona and spent all day wandering around the mighty Basilica de la Sagrada Família, the architectural masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí. It had been under construction since 1882, and at the time only four of its 18 planned spires had been built. In the basement there was a museum with plans, renderings, and so on, and I discovered the plans for what it would look like when it was finished.

Then I waited 23 years, and now the moment has come. The largest and best of the spires is finished, and it does follow the plans I saw so long ago. Here's what it looks like:

The top of very largest and tallest tower of the Sagrada
Família, surmounted by a truly enormous six-armed cross, and
surrounded by four smaller (but still enormous) spires representing
the four evangelists.

Let's focus in on the detail I waited so long to see:

Closeup of the part of the tower just under the cross.  Arranged
in a row down this part of the spire is a series of seven gigantic flat stones,
each with a single white letter, spelling DOMINUS.

It was worth the wait.


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