Antonio Gaudi was born in Reus in 1852 and moved to Barcelona to study architecture, a discipline in which he graduated in 1878. He initially worked in some offices of renowned architects of the time.
In 1883 he was appointed architect of expiatory temple Sagrada Familia, the work that occupied all his life and what is considered as his main artistic achievement, although it ended inconclusively and without a well-defined project.
By then he also met the Count of Güell, with whom he maintained an almost Renaissance patronage. Güell commissioned first some pavilions for his property of Pedralbes and then a Palace at Nou de la Rambla st. (1886-1891), where Gaudí introduced new building elements such as the parabolic arc. Then he made the new building for the college of Las Teresianas at Ganduxer street and the Episcopal palace of Astorga, who never completed because of the death of his mentor, Bishop Juan Bautista Grau Vallespinós.
Antonio Gaudí's work is part of the modernist movement, though it far exceeds this movement with the originality of his ideas and his ability to break the mold and create new solutions.
Gaudi loved puzzles and symbolism, hiding symbols in the decoration of the Sagrada Familia. Here, we have a look at some sculptures of animals on the Sagrada Familia and their hidden meaning.
The peacock
It is the ultimate symbol of vanity and pride, of how fragile the earthly appearances are as well as the essence of power and royalty. A beautiful animal whose only purpose in life is to show off, always a slave to its external physical and the adulation of the others. Located in the Charity Portal (Portal de la Caridad)
The pelican
The pelican represents for Christians the sacrifice for others. The legends says that the pelicans, in case of need, hurt his chest to his own blood feeding their young, so it becomes the symbol of the Christ-Eucharist. In the Sagrada Familia the pelican is located in the Facade of the Nativity (Fachada del Nacimiento) at the cypress tree. The original piece of alabaster is now in the museum as it was in a poor condition and had to be replaced by a marble copy.
The Pigeon
It is the symbol of peace and hope. It is the personification of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in the Scriptures, and it appears on the Representations of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are also social animals who do not fear the presence of man and live with him. In the Sagrada Familia we find them in the cypress tree of the Nativity Façade (Fachada del Nacimiento).
The promoter of the Sagrada Famila construction was Bocabella i Verdaguer Josep Maria, a highly educated bookseller who in 1866 founded "The Spiritual Association of Devotees of San Jose" an entity which aimed to support the dissemination of Catholicism 
