On March 19, 2017, Hong Kong's Christian actress Deng Cuiwen, or Sheren Tang, shared her joy of visiting Barcelona again on her microblog.
The next day, she paid a visit to the local renowned Basilica of the Sagrada Familia and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, a large Roman Catholic church, and posted, "The Sagrada Família should be the offering to the Creator by Gaudí, an innocent talented artist. I appreciated him more after visiting the church. He repaid his debt to the world and to the Creator, who granted him the unique gift with his lifelong talent. The talent that responds to everything the Lord gives is really meaningful. Without wealth and rank, his piety and creative power can win immortal fame, through which people can also see God. His devotion and architectural ingenuity shocked and touched my heart. I'm grateful that I saw the whole church the first time yesterday that was the right time in my life."
The official website of the church introduces the Sagrada Familia as a symbolic expression in stone of the Christian faith. In this temple, an exaltation of the Family of Nazareth as a model for a united family is displayed to help Christians, especially Roman Catholics, recognise the tenets of their faith. Likewise, those who profess a different faith or none at all can find in it the keys for understanding the Christian religion: the history of the Church, the Sacred Scriptures, the tradition of dedication to the Saints, Christian doctrine and worship. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, it has been listed into World Heritage Site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI in November 2010, who proclaimed it a minor basilica.
The website also says, "Antoni Gaudí was born on 25 June 1852 in Reus, in the Baix Camp, which was then the second city in Catalonia. He attended the Escoles Pies school, where he excelled in Geometry and Arithmetic, and received a traditional, religious and humanist education. Son of a coppersmith, he started learning about crafts in his father's workshop in 1860.
In 1868,Antoni Gaudí moved to Barcelona and prepared for entry to the School of Architecture, which he joined in 1873. He combined his studies while working as an assistant in an architectural practice, as well as in the workshops of a carpenter, a glassmaker and a locksmith where he learned these crafts.
Antoni Gaudí was inconsistent in his Architecture studies, but stood out in the subjects of design, drawing and mathematical calculation. In 1878, after qualifying in Architecture, he received his first official commission. As his professional reputation grew, he undertook larger projects commissioned by the bourgeoisie such as the Casa Calvet, the Casa Batlló and the Casa Milà. In 1883, he took over the design of the Sagrada Familia while also working on other projects.
In 1906, Antoni Gaudí moved into what is now known as the Gaudí House Museum, the model home at Park Güell designed by Francesc d'Assís Berenguer i Mestres, the architect's friend and right-hand man. He lived in this specific house for nearly 20 years.
He worked for 43 years on the Basilica until 1926. In 1914, he left all his other projects to concentrate exclusively on the Sagrada Familia until his death on 10 June 1926, when he had a tragic accident three days earlier.
His funeral procession, which went through much of Barcelona and finished in the Sagrada Familia, was a grand event in the city in recognition of his status as the greatest architect Barcelona has ever seen. Gaudí was buried in the chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. "
Translated by Karen Luo
