After 144 years, Barcelona’s Sagrada Família one big step closer to completion
Barcelona’s Sagrada Família basilica has been under construction for just under 144 years, and on Friday, it came a big step closer to completion. A crane placed the upper arm of a cross on the “Tower of Jesus Christ.”
The tower is the church’s central piece, now soaring 566 feet above the city, making the world’s tallest church even more imposing. It achieved that just a few months ago, in October 2025, when the first part of the tower was placed atop the nave.
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The world’s second-tallest church is Ulm Minster in Germany, which stands 530 feet tall.
The church’s architect, Antoni Gaudí, deliberately designed it so it would not be taller than the elevation of nearby Montjuïc mountain, which is 567 feet. Catholic news outlet InfoVaticana said the limitation is meant as a symbolic sign of respect for the work of Creation.
The cross on the “Tower of Jesus Christ” has four arms so its shape can be recognized from any direction, Sagrada Familia’s rector, the Rev. Josep Turull, told The Associated Press.
The newly finished spire is the last of Sagrada Família’s 18 towers to be completed. In addition to Jesus, the towers represent the Virgin Mary, the four evangelists and the 12 Apostles.
A long history
The first stone for Sagrada Família, officially known as the Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Família, was placed on March 19, 1882.
With a total ground surface of about 440,000 square feet, Gaudí never expected the church to be completed in his lifetime. Only one of its towers was built by the time of his death in 1926.
The basilica became a major international tourist attraction, prompting work to accelerate. Construction is funded in large part by the fees millions of tourists pay every year to visit the church.
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The scaffolding surrounding the tower is expected to be removed by June, in time for the inauguration of the “Tower of Jesus Christ,” according to the church.
While the main structure of Sagrada Família is planned to be finished sometime this year, the final design elements are not expected to be complete until the early 2030s.
Preparing for a big day
Even though construction won’t be fully done, planners have focused on finishing the “Tower of Jesus Christ” ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit this summer.
It was confirmed this week that the pope’s visit to Spain will be from June 6 to 12. According to a Vatican spokesperson, the visit will include an event at the Sagrada Família to mark 100 years since Gaudí’s death on June 10, 1926.
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14 August 2023, Spain, Barcelona: Tourists visit Park Güell. Despite high inflation, also and especially in the tourism sector, Spain is facing a record year with more foreign visitors than ever before. At the same time, the locals’ resentment of tourists seems to be growing rapidly. Photo: Emilio Rappold/dpa (Photo by Emilio Rappold/picture alliance via Getty Images) -
Tourists visit Park Guell in Barcelona on October 11, 2024. Tourists are flocking to Barcelona in ever increasing numbers, fueling anger among locals who complain that mass tourism in driving up housing prices and overwhelming public spaces in Spain’s second city. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP) (Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images) -
BARCELONA, Sept. 25, 2020 — Tourists visit the Park Guell in Barcelona, Spain on Sept. 25, 2020. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/Joan Gosa via Getty Images) -
BARCELONA, SPAIN – 2020/08/04: Visitors are seen looking at Barcelona city from the Park Güell terrace designed by Antoni Gaudí.
Despite having free access for residents of Barcelona during the summer, Park Güell, one of the most visited spaces in the city of Barcelona, has a low attendance of tourists and visitors due to Covid-19 contagion outbreaks. (Photo by Paco Freire/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) -
This picture shows the main facade of Casa Batllo in Barcelona, on June 19, 2025. Barcelona’s iconic Casa Batllo has unveiled the restored rear facade and main garden, which have been returned to their original Gaudi-era appearance after years of damage from pollution and previous alterations. The renovation recovers key elements of the building’s modernist identity, staying faithful to the architect’s original version. (Photo by Manaure QUINTERO / AFP) (Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty Images) -
Picture shows the back facade of Casa Batllo by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, in Barcelona, on January 28, 2026. (Photo by Manaure QUINTERO / AFP via Getty Images) -
BARCELONA, SPAIN – 2022/07/06: Casa Mila or La Pedrera. Modernist architecture building designed by Antoni Gaudi. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images) -
Courtyard, La Pedrera, Casa Mila, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. (Photo by: Bildagentur-online/Schoening/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) -
Roof with chimneys, La Pedrera, Casa Mila by Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. (Photo by: Bildagentur-online/Schoening/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) -
BARCELONA, CATALONIA SPAIN, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 18: Exterior view of the modernist Casa Vicens Gaudi in the Gracia district, on 18 February, 2022 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. This building, constructed between 1883 and 1885, was one of the first important works of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. The building was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1969, an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1993, and a World Heritage Site in 2005. (Photo By David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images) -
BARCELONA, CATALONIA SPAIN, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 18: Exterior view of the modernist Casa Vicens Gaudi in the Gracia district, on 18 February, 2022 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. This building, constructed between 1883 and 1885, was one of the first important works of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. The building was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1969, an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1993, and a World Heritage Site in 2005. (Photo By David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images) -
The picture shows the interior of the “Casa Vicens” (House Vicens) designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi taken on November 16, 2017 in Barcelona. / AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images) -
SPAIN, BARCELONA – APRIL 02 : The Guell Palace was built in Barcelona by Antonio Gaudi between 1886 and 1888 for Count Eusebio Guell and his family in Barcelona on April 02, 2019 in Spain. (Photo by Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images) -
SPAIN, BARCELONA – APRIL 02 : The Guell Palace was built in Barcelona by Antonio Gaudi between 1886 and 1888 for Count Eusebio Guell and his family in Barcelona on April 02, 2019 in Spain. (Photo by Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images) -
Details of the Central Hall in the Antoni Gaudi’s Palau Güell in Barcelona, Spain on June 18, 2016. (Photo by Miquel Llop/NurPhoto via Getty Images) -
SPAIN – OCTOBER 23: Torre Bellesguard, 1900-1909, architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), Sarria district, Barcelona, Catalonia. Spain, 20th century. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
Sagrada Família will also hold several other events to celebrate Gaudí’s legacy, including sites around Barcelona, like the famous Park Güell and Casa Batlló, as well as in other parts of Spain.
What’s left to be done
The original plan for the “Tower of Jesus Christ” includes a light beam shining from each of the cross’ arms. Turull said it’s meant to symbolize the church’s role as a spiritual lighthouse.
It is not yet clear if Barcelona’s city government will allow the lights.
Other major elements of the church will remain under construction, including the baptistery, Chapel of the Assumption and the Glory Façade, which one day will be the main entrance, according to Rick Steves’ Europe. The elements still to be constructed include a stairway to the church’s entrance and other decorations, such as sculptures that still need to be carved.
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