CV NEWS FEED // Barcelona’s colossal Basilica the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) is finally set to finish after its infamously drawn-out construction period of over 140 years.
According to a March 20 announcement from the landmark cathedral, the final renovations on the Chapel of the Assumption and the tower of Jesus Christ should be complete by 2026.
Modernist and naturalist Antonio Gaudi, one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, began the project, which has been under construction since March 19, 1882. It is now considered the most expansive, and longest unfinished architectural project in the world today.
According to the Basilica’s website, Gaudí’s death in an accident in 1926 was only one of a few times that construction had to stop or was not as fast as it could have been. During the Spanish Civil War, anarchists destroyed the models and the Basilica’s crypt. The COVID-19 pandemic paused construction for months in 2020. From the start of its construction, the Sagrada Familia has remained entirely self-funded, as Gaudí was allegedly “reluctant about finding the project through private investors.” The church continues to rely on tourism and donations to fund its construction.
As Catholic News Agency reported in December 2023, the process for Gaudí’s beatification is underway.
“Though not known as a practicing Catholic in his earlier years, Gaudí is said to have had a conversion of heart after he began working on the Sagrada Familia,” the report stated. “As the work on the basilica progressed, Gaudí became known for his fasting, asceticism, and devotion to God.”
Gaudí was on his way to confession when he was hit by a tram, resulting in his death three days later.
According to a report from travel spending advice blog “The Points Guy,” Sagrada Familia saw more than 4.7 million visitors in 2023 and used more than half of the $137 million that it received in income from those visits on construction.
“In addition to tourists, the church hosted nearly 52,000 worshippers across 66 international masses in 2023, with nearly 300,000 people visiting the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament at the basilica,” the report added.
