To walk through Barcelona’s Sagrada Família is to witness a masterpiece of architecture. But for Gaudí expert Tate Cabré, appreciating its towering columns and kaleidoscopic stained glass tells only half the story. She argues that without understanding Antoni Gaudí’s profound religious devotion, the true meaning of his life’s work remains lost.

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Cabré positions herself as a “gaudinista,” a term she uses to distinguish her approach from that of the more secular “gaudinólogos.” The latter, Cabré explains, study the architect from a purely scientific and historical perspective, often dismissing his faith as an outdated concept. “They don’t believe in Gaudí’s religiosity because they consider it absurd, tacky, old-fashioned,” Cabré told La Vanguardia in a recent interview. “But if you take religion out of Gaudí, he doesn’t hold up at all.”

A Sacred Blueprint

Cabré explains that this spiritual dimension, which intensified throughout Gaudí’s lifetime, dictates many design choices that might otherwise seem arbitrary. The symbolism is woven into the very stone of the basilica. “If you remove this dimension, you don’t understand, for example, that this column is granite because it is further from the altar, and the one nearby is basalt,” she illustrates. This deep-seated faith is the blueprint for the entire structure.

Her favourite spots in the basilica reveal this blend of art and devotion, from the delicate intricacy of the Roser door on the Nativity facade, sculpted by Etsuro Sotoo, to the spectacular play of light through the Passion facade’s windows. “The complete form can only be seen during the solstices,” she notes, as colours wash over the forest of columns.

Unearthing New Histories

Cabré’s connection to Gaudí is deeply personal. A native of Reus, the same town as the architect, her family home was almost directly opposite the Gaudís’. “As a child, Gaudí was already passionate about geometry; an ancestor of mine used to lend him books,” she recalls. Her expertise was further cemented during the International Year of Gaudí in 2002, a period that saw an explosion of public interest and scholarly research.

She emphasises that new discoveries are still debunking long-held myths. Cabré herself published the school records that confirmed Gaudí’s birth in Reus. She also highlights the recent identification of a key early benefactor of the Sagrada Família. For decades, a mysterious, generous donor, known only as Isabel, remained a puzzle. In 2022, researcher Julià Bretos identified her as Isabel Bolet i Vidiella. Cabré delves into the human drama behind the donation. After Bolet’s husband, who had made his fortune in the Americas, died, his will stipulated that she provide for a woman and children he had in Cuba. “Out of rage, Isabel sold the foundry he left her and gave the money to the Sagrada Família,” Cabré explains. Despite her immense contribution, Gaudí refused her request to dedicate a chapel to her patron saint, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Cabré highlights that “even so, she bequeathed her entire fortune… out of spite.”

A Mountain of Faith in the City

For the past 14 years, Cabré has shared these insights through guided tours, framing Gaudí’s vision in a uniquely Catalan context. “I always tell them that for me, the Sagrada Família is Montserrat,” she says. “Gaudí wanted to create a Montserrat in the centre of Barcelona, to bring the spirituality of the magical mountain to the city.”

The effect on visitors can be profound, she notes, especially those familiar with the Bible. “One client had a Stendhal syndrome reaction; she started crying and felt dizzy,” she recalls. This powerful spiritual purpose stands in stark contrast to its modern role as a global tourist magnet. As construction continues towards the planned 2026 inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ, Cabré’s perspective reminds us that truly seeing the Sagrada Família means looking beyond its architecture and into its creator’s soul.