Barcelona's iconic Sagrat Cor Expiatory Temple, which crowns Tibidabo mountain, was originally conceived to stop the construction of a Protestant church and a hotel-casino on the site. A small neo-Gothic hermitage, built in 1886, marked the initial claim on the land, according to La Vanguardia Barcelona.
The proposed Protestant church and casino drew strong opposition from some citizens and the Catholic community. This led to the formation of the Junta de Caballeros Católicos (Board of Catholic Gentlemen). This group acquired the land and then gave it to the Italian priest Juan Bosco, founder of the Salesians, who was living in the city at the time.
Soon after, the idea emerged to build a temple dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a popular devotion at the time. While awaiting funding, the neo-Gothic hermitage was constructed in 1886. It stood isolated on the mountain for years before being incorporated into the larger temple. This structure served to claim the territory. The Protestant temple was never built, and the casino was eventually erected in another part of Collserola.
Construction Challenges and Delays
Next to the hermitage, a viewpoint was built, though it was later demolished. Problems securing funding and a separate project to install an astronomical observatory further delayed the Sagrat Cor works. The current Fabra Observatory was eventually built on nearby land.
Construction on the Sagrat Cor Expiatory Temple officially began with the laying of the first stone on 18 December 1902. Architect Enric Sagnier was responsible for the initial design, with his son Josep Maria completing the project. The works continued until 1961, when the sculpture of Jesus Christ was placed atop the dome, making it visible across the Barcelona plain.
The Sculpture's History
The original sculpture, created by Frederic Marès in 1935, stood eight metres tall and was installed on a temple terrace. However, at the start of the Civil War, it was seized to melt its bronze for ammunition. After the war, the Salesians commissioned a replica from sculptor Josep Miret, which is the one that now crowns the temple.
Today, the Sagrat Cor stands as a prominent landmark, its history intertwined with the city's religious and social dynamics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Future preservation efforts will focus on maintaining this significant structure and its surrounding area.
