Doors/Portals – TRAVEL WORDS

Fanlight

The new January Squares challenge, hosted as ever by Becky, the Queen of Squares, is all about ____light. That’s words ending in light. In this often dull month light of any kind is what we all need to lift our spirits as we wait impatiently for spring to begin. Click on the link to find out more.

fanlights

fanlight (noun) = A fanlight is a window, often semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan. It is placed over another window or a doorway

January Squares | Day Seventeen

Lincoln Doors #2

Lincoln Doors #1

It was like being back in Ludlow. All the beautiful doors of Lincoln’s Cathedral Quarter beckoned. Often wonky, scuffed and peeling paint, elaborate stonework, fancy fanlights or just brightly coloured wooden doors. Each with oodles of character.

The Passion Façade Doors

(The last of my posts about the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona.)

The doors on this side of the basilica are very different in style. Rather like the Da Vinci code two of the double doors are full of mysterious ciphers that I feel one should be able to decode.

All the doors were designed by Josep M. Subirachs. They took twenty years to complete

For the description of Christ’s passion, Subirachs created single sculptures, sculptural groups and relief letters, and four bronze doors dedicated to Gethsemane’s garden (1995), the Coronation (1997), the Gospel according to St. Matthew and the Gospel according to St. John (2000).

The sculptor wanted all the façade work to be captured in the centre door (2000). For this reason, he decided to reproduce the text of the Gospel illustrated by means of the sculptures, with over 8,000 smelted bronze letters erected ‘like two enormous open books’. The letters have a bronze patina and the repeated letter is one of the most emblematic techniques he used in order to turn message into a work of art.

The Nativity Façade doors

(The third of my posts about the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona.)

On the Nativity façade the portico is composed of three entrances devoted to the three Christian virtues: the Faith (to the right), the Hope (to the left) and the Charity (in the centre); each designed by Japanese sculptor, Etsuro Sotoo; decorated with plants, insects and small animals in the style of Gaudí.

Faith on the right is covered in roses with birds and butterflies and is devoted to the Virgin Mary.

Charity in the centre is a double door which depicts Christian Love/Charity with the Holy Family and nativity scene as the focus of the sculptures above. It was the first to be installed and includes ivy leaves and what looks to me to be Virginia creeper, squash flowers and lily flowers as well as numerous insects. The tree of life grows up through the middle of these doors.

The left represents Hope and is dedicated to St Joseph. It is what I call the Iris door as it is full of beautiful iris flowers, lily flowers, bamboo, butterflies, terrapins and other aquatic creatures and insects.