Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
IT’S taken more than 140 years, countless cranes and a mountain of scaffolding – but Barcelona’s world-famous Sagrada Familia is about to hit the heights.
The iconic basilica, dreamt up by visionary architect Antoni Gaudi, is finally closing in on the completion of its central tower – and when the last stone is slotted in place, it will snatch the crown as Europe’s tallest Christian church.
The Tower of Jesus Christ, the centrepiece of the design, will rise a staggering 172 metres into the Catalan sky, eclipsing Germany’s Ulm Minster by 10 metres. Builders say the finishing touches will come by the end of this year or early 2026.
At the very top, a dazzling cross will be hoisted into place, flanked by five more towers – one for the Virgin Mary and four for the evangelists – completing the spiritual skyline.
But don’t expect the scaffolding to vanish just yet. Bosses admit work on the facades and interiors could drag on for another decade.
The milestone comes with poignant timing: 2026 marks 100 years since Gaudí’s tragic death, after he was run over by a tram. To honour his legacy, the basilica will host a grand centenary celebration on June 10 – and Pope Leo XIV has been invited to lead a solemn mass.
The foundation stone was laid way back in 1882.
Since then, donations and ticket sales from millions of tourists – 4.9 million last year alone – have kept construction going.
Now, with the final pieces of the giant cross already arriving on site, visitors could soon climb right to the top of the holy spire – and take in a view Gaudí himself never lived to see.
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