After almost a century and a half, the Sagrada Familia finally has a tentative completion date in 2026. Once finished, it will be the tallest building in Barcelona standing at 172.5 meters.
Although the main structure is expected to be completed in 2026, the rest of the furnishings including the sculptures, the stairway leading to the main entrance, and other decorative details will continue until 2034.
The idea to build a basilica of this magnitude came from the bookseller Jose Maria Bocabella, who, after returning from a visit to the Vatican, was inspired to build a church similar to the basilica at Loreto. Being the founder of Asociación Espiritual de Devotos de San José, Bocabella was able to arrange for the construction to be started in 1882, with help from donations.
Originally, the chief architect of Sagrada Familia was Francisco de Paula del Villar, but after he resigned, Antoni Gaudi replaced him and incorporated a lot of his architectural and engineering style which used a combination of Gothic and Art Nouveau.
After Gaudi died in 1926, work on the basilica continued, weathering several incidents including the Spanish Civil War in 1936, an arson case in 2011 which damaged the sacristy, and the COVID pandemic.
Also, the lack of financing has been a constant hindrance to construction. Donations used to be the source of funds for the project, but later on, with a stream of income flowing from tourism, it's able to generate around €125 million, half of which goes to the construction.
Currently, several works of Antoni Gaudi have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, although Sagrada Familia has not yet been included. The Nativity facade and Crypt of the basilica are two of the seven buildings built by Gaudi with this designation.
(Image credit: Zhiyuan Sun/Unsplash)