Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Merging Amusement and Religion

Located on the top of Mount Tibidabo, the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was planned and built in response to a potential Protestant church and hotel-casino being built. Construction lasted from 1902 to 1961 and was completed by the architect’s (Enric Sagnier) son, Josep Maria Sagnier. It is a neo-gothic church that features a crypt and a chapel almost 600 meters above sea level. 

The temple is extremely visible from almost everywhere in the city due to the height of the mountain. The thing that keeps it relevant may also be the thing that hurts it. There are trails that lead to the top that are extremely steep, a funicular that costs money, and multiple transfers from trains to buses that make getting there complicated. The temple is pretty small in size and couldn’t sustain tourism to the top of Tibidabo on its own. The smaller version of the temple that existed in the late 1800s required its own funicular up, which provided the infrastructure needed for further development. 

The hotel and the temple that existed on the mountain required the environment around them to be developed in some way, not only to benefit the guests staying at the hotel but also locals and visitors of the mountain. The result is a quaint amusement park that is perfect for families to not only see religious architecture but also have fun.