Sagrada Família

The Basílica de la Sagrada Família stands in the Eixample district of Barcelona. It was begun in 1882 as an expiatory church funded by donations, at first to a Gothic Revival design by Francisco de Paula del Villar. Antoni Gaudí took over the project in 1883 and transformed it, working on it until 1926, when he was hit by a tram on 7 June and died three days later.

Only a small part was complete when Gaudí died. During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, his workshop was set on fire and many plans and plaster models were destroyed. Work resumed later using surviving models and studies. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church as a minor basilica in 2010. The Nativity facade and crypt built by Gaudí are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Works of Antoni Gaudí, extended in 2005.

The design includes three facades: the Nativity facade, largely built under Gaudí, the Passion facade with angular sculptures by Josep Maria Subirachs, and the Glory facade, still under construction. Eighteen spires are planned, representing the apostles, the evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. The Tower of Jesus Christ reached its full height of 172.5 metres on 20 February 2026, making the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world, ahead of Ulm Minster. Pope Leo XIV blessed it on 10 June 2026. Inside, columns branch like trees to support the vaults, and stained glass windows fill the nave with coloured light.

Entry is by timed ticket, best booked online in advance, with optional tower access by lift. Shoulders must be covered and very short shorts are not allowed. Sagrada Família metro station on lines 2 and 5 is next to the basilica.

The Tower of Jesus Christ and work still to come

The central Tower of Jesus Christ was topped out in February 2026, the centenary year of Gaudí's death, and its blessing in June 2026 marked the end of the main structural work. The interior is expected to be finished in 2028. On 29 November 2021, a seven-metre, twelve-pointed illuminated star was fixed on the Tower of the Virgin Mary.

Ticket money funds the €25 million yearly budget

The Sagrada Família receives no public money for construction. The annual building budget of about €25 million comes largely from tickets sold to about five million visitors a year. After 136 years of building without a licence, the trustees agreed in 2018 to pay Barcelona €36 million, and the city issued the permit on 7 June 2019.

The Glory facade dispute

The last major piece, the Glory facade on Carrer de Mallorca, is also the most contested. The plans include a wide stairway that would cross the street and require the demolition of parts of two city blocks, home to about 3,000 people. Residents' groups, the city and the construction board are still negotiating, and as of 2025 the architects said the plans would go ahead.

Morning visits, when the low sun shines through the blue and green windows of the Nativity side, and late afternoon, when the red and orange glass of the Passion side lights up, show the nave at its best. Prices vary by ticket type, so check the basilica's official site when booking.