The Sagrada Família (Holy Family) is a Spanish church designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) in the late nineteenth century. It is famous for the sheer exuberance of its design and the abundance of its architectural details. Gaudí’s design was so elaborate, in fact, that the church is still incomplete today. I had never really thought about the Sagrada Família having grotesques, but this little lizard figure fits in perfectly with both the building’s love of ornament and Gaudí’s imaginative aesthetic.
Bonus Gargoyle! I can’t actually make this a gargoyle of the day, because I have no idea where it comes from, but I am absolutely in love with this image of two gargoyles spitting water from a fountain. I have never encountered any medieval examples of gargoyles being used on fountains, but I can’t think of a more inventive-yet-authentic modern use for such a creature. Bravo!
