TEMPLE EXPIATORI DEL SAGRAT COR, TIBIDABO

The complete name of the church is the National Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In Catalan it is called the Sagrat Cor del Tibidabo. It is a church that sits on top of Tibidabo Mountain. St. John Bosco was the founder of the Salesian Order and he was offered a plot of land for the erection of a church in 1886 when he visited Barcelona. The church was to be dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The architects were Enric Sagnier and his son Josep Maria Sagnier. The construction started in 1902 and was finished in 1961.


The church has a Neo-Gothic design and an Art Noveau crypt. There is a huge bronze statue of the Sacred Heart (Christ) on top of the dome of the church. It is seven meters high and was made by the artist Josep Miret. It is not a major architechural triumph, but nice to visit for the fabulous views of Barcelona and to see the statue of Jesus at the very top at 512 metres above sea level.There is an elevator that takes visitors to the top of the temple. There are many decorations in the church that are Byzantine in design, and these are quite beautiful. There is an impressive view of the city from the top of the temple and the church surroundings.
To go up the Tibidabo Mountain, you can take the Blue Tram or the Funicular.