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Passion façade, slanting columns and four bell towers.

La Sagrada Família Passion façade

The Passion façade is the western face of the Sagrada Família, with 6 slanting columns beneath 4 bell towers. Josep Maria Subirachs created the lower sculpture groups. The façade shows the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Updated Hours and tickets the Basilica's own pages and booklets, last read ; tour listings read

Passion sculptures Josep Maria Subirachs Sculpture sequence from the Last Supper to the entombment. → Passion bell towers 4 apostles James the Less, Bartholomew, Thomas and Philip. → Pediment cross height 7.5 metres The cross weighs 18 tonnes and is 4.25 metres wide. →

You can view the Passion façade free from Carrer de Sardenya. A Passion tower ascent requires a ticket that includes tower access. The official tower ticket page lists Sagrada Família with towers at €36 per adult for the Basilica and museum, one tower and the audioguide app. Your visitor entrance is on Carrer de la Marina.

The place

Passion façade architecture

The Passion façade has 4 bell towers above a portico on Carrer de Sardenya. The Passion façade portico shows the suffering and death of Jesus below, with his resurrection in the gallery above.

Gaudí designed the Passion façade to suggest bones. Deep recesses and projecting forms give the façade its harsh outline. The design survives in Gaudí's detailed drawing.

Your Basilica entrance is on Carrer de la Marina, on the Nativity façade. Every ticket has a date, a time and a name. Bring the photo ID matching your ticket, as required by the Basilica's rules. Be at the door at your time; late arrivals cannot enter.

The Crucifixion group beneath the Passion façade pediment.
The Crucifixion group beneath the Passion façade pediment.

What you see

Sagrada Família Passion façade sculptures

The Passion façade sculptures sit behind 6 columns that lean inwards towards the centre. The columns support the narthex, the covered space before the doors. Above the lower narthex, 18 columns support the pediment.

To read the Passion façade, face it from Carrer de Sardenya. Begin with the Last Supper at the lower left. Follow the sculptures upwards in an S-shaped path to the Crucifixion and entombment, as mapped in the official booklets.

Christ on the Passion façade hangs at an angle from a horizontal steel cross so the Crucifixion can be seen from below. Subirachs gave an Evangelist the face of Gaudí in the scene of Jesus consoling the women of Jerusalem. The soldiers wear helmets recalling chimneys at La Pedrera.

The Passion façade pediment cross stands 7.5 metres tall and weighs 18 tonnes. The cross is 4.25 metres wide. The Empty Tomb below the cross represents the resurrection.

Passion façade portal and sculptures beneath a cloudy sky.
Passion façade portal and sculptures beneath a cloudy sky.
Four Passion bell towers against a deep blue sky.
Four Passion bell towers against a deep blue sky.
The Passion façade and four bell towers beneath clouds.
The Passion façade and four bell towers beneath clouds.

The tower

Sagrada Família Passion tower view

The Passion tower looks over the city centre of Barcelona; the €36 adult tower ticket includes the Basilica and museum. Your Sagrada Família with towers ticket also includes the audioguide app.

The Passion tower is for city centre views; the Nativity tower looks over the eastern side of Barcelona. The official Basilica visit with one tower takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. You choose your tower when you buy the ticket. The towers close in adverse weather or during maintenance.

You take the lift up the Passion tower and walk down. Children under 6 cannot visit; children aged 6 to 16 need an adult. Tower access excludes people with reduced mobility. Leave your bag in a locker before you go up.

Sagrada Família with towers costs €36 per adult; GoforaJourney English Tour & Tower Access costs €119. The GoforaJourney option includes a guided Basilica visit for up to 15 people and access to the Passion tower. Published GoforaJourney tour durations differ; check the total time before booking.

Your ticket: Sagrada Família with towers, €36 per adult, the Basilica and museum with one tower and the audioguide app.

Barcelona and Torre Glòries through a tower opening.
Barcelona and Torre Glòries through a tower opening.

The light

When is the best light on the Passion façade?

The evening sun deepens shadows across the 6 columns of the Passion façade and lights the orange windows on the west side. Your €26 adult Sagrada Família ticket includes the Basilica and museum, with the audioguide app, as listed on the basic ticket page. You need no tower ticket for the windows.

The Basilica's opening-hours page lists these hours: In October, the Basilica opens 9:00–19:00 Monday to Friday, 9:00–18:00 on Saturday and 10:30–19:00 on Sunday. The Basilica clears visitors 15 minutes before closing under the official conditions of sale. Special events can change your visiting hours.

The official app and website sell tickets about 2 months before your visit, as stated in the Basilica's FAQ. If your date is sold out, check the guided tours for an option that includes the Basilica ticket. You cannot return once you leave the Basilica grounds.

Plan around: an afternoon entry if you want the west windows, with time before the Basilica closes.

Red, orange and blue windows at the nave corner.
Red, orange and blue windows at the nave corner.

People also ask

All Sagrada Família questions →

What do the Sagrada Família Passion façade sculptures show?

The Sagrada Família Passion façade sculptures show the suffering and death of Jesus, framed by 6 slanting columns. Josep Maria Subirachs created the lower sculpture groups. From Carrer de Sardenya, follow the scenes upwards in an S-shaped path from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion and entombment. The Empty Tomb above represents the resurrection.

How do the Passion and Nativity façades differ?

The Passion and Nativity façades each have 4 bell towers, framing the death of Jesus on the west and birth on the east. The Passion façade stands on Carrer de Sardenya. Your visitor entrance is on the Nativity façade, on Carrer de la Marina. The sharp figures by Subirachs contrast with plants and animals on the Nativity façade.

Which Sagrada Família tower is better, Passion or Nativity?

Choose the Passion tower for city centre views or the Nativity tower for eastern Barcelona; either choice costs €36 per adult. Your Sagrada Família with towers ticket includes the Basilica and museum, with the audioguide app. You choose one tower when you buy.

How much does the Sagrada Família Passion tower cost?

A Passion tower visit costs €36 per adult with Sagrada Família with towers, including the Basilica and museum. Your ticket includes the audioguide app; you select the Passion façade during purchase. Sagrada Família with guided tour and towers costs €40 per adult on the official guided tour with towers page. The official guided tour lasts about 50 minutes.

Can children visit the Sagrada Família Passion tower?

Children can visit the Sagrada Família Passion tower from age 6. Children aged 6 to 16 must be with an adult. The Passion tower visit uses a lift up and stairs down. The Passion tower is not accessible for people with reduced mobility.

Sagrada Família tours for the Passion façade

All 10 tour lists →

The 4 tours offer a façade walk, a guide through the museum, Passion tower access or a private visit.

Prices in euro per adult for the named option, as listed on . Tour bookings go through our booking partner.

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Nativity façade

Nativity façade

The 3 portals on the Nativity façade are dedicated to Hope, Charity and Faith.

 Sagrada Família towers

Sagrada Família towers

Sagrada Família with towers costs €36 per adult for the Basilica and museum, one tower and the audioguide app.

 Museum and Schools

Museum and Schools

The Sagrada Família museum explains the Basilica's history and construction.