Construction began in 1882 under Francisco de Paula del Villar, but when Antoni Gaudí assumed control a year later, he transformed a conventional neo-Gothic church into an architectural manifesto.
The basilica's eighteen spires — symbolizing the Twelve Apostles, the Four Evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and Christ — will reach 172.5 metres at completion, making it the tallest church structure built entirely by human hands. Gaudí devoted forty-three years to the project, living on-site in a spartan workshop during his final months, and his death in 1926 left the building less than a quarter complete.
Today the Sagrada Família serves as both consecrated basilica and construction site, its east facade inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 while cranes continue to raise the central towers overhead. The Nativity Facade, completed under Gaudí's direct supervision, contrasts organic forms and biblical iconography with the geometric severity of the Passion Facade, designed decades later from his sketches. Inside, tree-like columns branch into a canopy of hyperboloids, and stained glass floods the nave in shifting colour — blue and green from the eastern windows at dawn, amber and red from the west at dusk. Gaudí calculated every angle to maximise natural light, declaring electric lamps a concession to human impatience.
The crypt museum preserves Gaudí's plaster models, reconstructed after anarchists destroyed the originals in 1936, alongside drawings that inform ongoing work. Current projections place completion near 2030, though the architects stress fidelity to Gaudí's vision over arbitrary deadlines. UNESCO inscribed the Nativity Facade and crypt as World Heritage in 1984, later extending the honour to the Passion Facade in 2005. Standard entry includes access to the basilica and museum, while guided tours with priority access decode the symbolism embedded in every surface and the engineering innovations that allow stone to mimic organic growth. Skip-the-line options bypass queues that regularly exceed two hours during peak season.
1 hr 30 min
