La Sagrada Familia: the tallest church in the world

When I arrived in Barcelona in 2015, one of my first metro trips was to admire the most beautiful creation of my new city: the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, a masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí that has dominated the urban landscape of the “ciudad condal” for two weeks. In today’s article, I offer you a brief chronology of its construction—both complex and fascinating.

The beginnings – 1882 to 1926

Initiated in 1882 by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, the temple was originally intended to be built in the Neo-Gothic style, which was very fashionable at the time. In 1883, the architect, disagreeing with the main promoters of the temple regarding the design and costs of the crypt, decided to withdraw from the project. The construction was then entrusted to a young architect who was beginning to gain recognition: Antoni Gaudí. A former student of Joan Martorell—an architect who had been offered the project but declined out of courtesy to del Villar and due to his advanced age—Gaudí became chief architect of the project on November 3, 1883.

Within a few weeks, Gaudí radically transformed almost every aspect of del Villar’s original Neo-Gothic design. He envisioned the Sagrada Familia as a massive stone Bible connecting heaven and earth, where all the stories and mysteries of the Christian faith would be represented. The proportions were significantly increased, with plans for a Latin cross layout featuring five naves, a transept, an apse with an ambulatory, a surrounding cloister for large processions, twelve bell towers, six domes, and three façades. At the center, the Tower of Jesus Christ was designed to reach 172.5 meters in height—just one meter shorter than Montjuïc hill, considered a natural creation of God.

Alongside his other works, Gaudí continued supervising the temple until his untimely death on June 10, 1926, after being struck by a tram three days earlier on Gran Vía.

At the time of his death, only one tower of the Nativity façade had been completed, while the other three were nearly finished. However, Gaudí’s habit of creating detailed scale models before construction greatly helped the architects who succeeded him. He left behind plans for the five naves (drawn three years before his death), the sacristy dome, and the Passion façade. In 1921, he had also begun work on the Glory façade, the third and final part of the current construction.

Civil War and dictatorship – 1936 to 1975

In the 1930s, Spain was in economic recession, which allowed a young general to gradually take control of the country: Francisco Franco.

In 1936, the Sagrada Familia was attacked by anarchists and anti-clerical republicans and narrowly escaped being completely burned down. Gaudí’s workshop, located in the crypt, did not survive and was destroyed by fire, along with most of the original plans, photographs, technical documents, and plaster models. One of Gaudí’s disciples, Francesco de Paula Quintana, spent many years restoring the crypt and the damaged models, allowing the project to continue.

In 1939, after Franco’s victory, Spain—and Catalonia—was devastated. Construction stopped until the 1950s due to lack of funding and interest. Initially criticized by intellectuals close to the Franco regime, the Sagrada Familia later became a nationalist and Catholic symbol of the regime, which partially funded the resumption of construction, although the project continued to rely largely on private donations, as in its early days.

The 1980s to today

Gradually, architects succeeded one another, and over the years the Passion façade, the interior of the five naves, and other elements were completed. In 2016, construction began on the towers of the Evangelists, the Virgin Mary, the sacristy, and the Tower of Jesus Christ.

In 2018, I had the opportunity to see the enormous crane placing the cross on the Passion façade—a major milestone marking the completion of that façade.

In March 2020, as the first COVID-19 cases appeared in Spain, lockdown was declared and construction officially stopped until October of the same year. Work resumed and focused on the construction of the Tower of Mary. On December 8, 2021, the Tower of Mary was inaugurated, with the illumination of the star crowning it—a historic moment.

In November 2023, the four towers of the Evangelists were inaugurated, completed and illuminated. Work then focused entirely on the Tower of Jesus Christ, scheduled for completion in 2025.

With some delay, on February 20, 2026, the Tower of Jesus Christ was completed, with the installation of the massive “Gaudí-style” cross at its summit. The Sagrada Familia officially became the tallest Catholic church in the world.

The future…

During my first visit to the temple in 2015, the announced completion date was precisely 2026, to celebrate the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. However, the events of the 1930s, the dictatorship, and COVID caused significant delays, and architects are now planning completion around 2034–2035.

But these unforeseen events are not the only reasons for the delay. In order to build the monumental staircase on the Glory façade, an entire block of apartments will unfortunately need to be demolished. Originally, and based on some personal research, buyers were offered significantly lower prices—up to three times cheaper—on the condition written into their contracts that their apartments would eventually be demolished to allow the construction of the temple.

So, the story continues…

More than 4.8 million visitors

Today, the Sagrada Familia is the most visited tourist attraction in Spain, far ahead of the magnificent Nasrid palaces of the Alhambra in Granada, which rank second. It attracts millions of visitors from all over the world, eager to admire this architectural masterpiece that amazes both young and old—especially inside, where the stunning colors from the massive stained-glass windows illuminate the side naves.

Useful links

The Passion façade in detail (coming soon)

The Nativity façade in detail (coming soon)

The interior in detail (coming soon)