The Inspiration
The Pinnacles of the Apostles
The Sagrada Família's bell towers dedicated to the apostles culminate in pinnacles laden with symbolism. Gaudí conceived these crownings as a representation of the bishops' attributes, as successors to the apostles: the mitre with the cross, the crosier and the ring. Clad in Venetian mosaic trencadís, these elements transform the uppermost part of the towers into a sculptural composition where architecture, religion and ornament merge into a single form. Repeated along the bell towers, the pinnacles give each tower a singular presence within the temple's profile, visible from a distance and full of meaning.
The Icosahedron of the Evangelists
The four towers of the Evangelists surround the central tower of Jesus Christ and culminate in terminals laden with symbolism. Just beneath the figures of the tetramorph stands an icosahedron, a twenty-faced polyhedron that Gaudí incorporated into the ensemble as both a geometric and functional element. Inside it houses the floodlights that illuminate the cross atop the tower of Jesus Christ, while the exterior is clad in trencadís in golden, ochre, yellow and salmon tones. Repeated on each of the four towers, this form brings together geometry, light and ornament into a single shape, integrated into one of the most symbolic ensembles of the Sagrada Família.
