Sagrada Familia finished

The history of the Sagrada Familia begins with the vision of one man, Josep María Bocabella y Verdaguer, a printer and bookseller, who in 1881 conceived the idea of building a Catholic church dedicated to the Holy Family, La Sagrada Família.
The young architect Antoni Gaudí soon joined him and the project took on the dimension and excessiveness that we know today.

The completed Basilica of the Sagrada Família will be a basilica with no less than five naves, three facades, and eighteen towers, the tallest of which, in the center, will be 172.5 metres high, symbolizing Jesus Christ! The highest tower in Barcelona in... In a few years!

>> In the meantime, you can visit this masterpiece all year round with the various Sagrada Família tickets & packages offered on the main page of this dossier.

A good tip > As soon as you know the dates of your hotel in Barcelona, book your Sagrada Família ticket to avoid queues and disappointment if there are no places left. 

When the Sagrada Família will be finished?

Theoretically, la Sagrada Família should be finished in 2026, the expected date for the completion of the most important works and the centenary of the death of its creator Antoni Gaudí.

But there have been many obstacles and delays since the first stone was laid in 1882. Between theory and practice, this construction has had many mishaps.

The absolute tragedy of Gaudí's death in 1926, when he was hit by a tram, comes to mind. His disciple Domènec Sugranyes became the third in a long line of architects in charge of the project.

Another tragedy occurred in 1936 when the Sagrada Família was sacked during the Spanish Civil War. Original plans were burnt, models were smashed. Despite this, the construction will continue with the few documents that survived this event.

2026, a date for the end of the construction site, called into question because of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Barcelona's most emblematic construction site continued until the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure of the temple to visitors in 2020 meant an immediate lack of funding. The work on an expiatory temple is financed exclusively through alms (money taken from the price of the entrance ticket and alms given by visitors).

In 2021, the Sagrada Família has lost 81 million in revenue compared to 2019...

At the last count and according to the general director of the Construction Council, Xavier Martínez, the completion of the work in 2026 is once again moving away...

Unless your good heart makes the difference...

What will the tallest tower of the basilica look like once it is erected, synonymous with the end of the work?

The Tower of Jesus Christ, 172.5 meters high. The last element of the work will be topped by a cross with four bell-shaped arms and covered with glazed ceramic and glass. This is a final tribute to Gaudí with one of the most typical forms of his famous crosses.

Video: The Tower of Jesus Christ in 2026 - animation-

The latest work in progress

27 September 2023

Construction of the last of the towers dedicated to the evangelists in the Sagrada Família, that of Saint Matthew, was completed on 27 September 2023. The towers of Saint Matthew and Saint John were crowned by statues of an angel and an eagle, symbols of the two evangelists, measuring 4.5 metres high and standing 135 metres above the ground. By the same date, five of the church's central towers had been completed. The last major tower is due to be completed in 2026, marking the centenary of architect Antoni Gaudí's death.