Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme - Tuesday Treasures
UPDATED November 2025Barcelona’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s famously unfinished masterwork, has crossed a major technical and symbolic threshold. Construction crews have installed the first element of the cross atop the basilica’s central tower, bringing the structure to 162.91 meters and making it, by measured height, the tallest church in the world.
November 2018 - Barcelona Spain
I'll admit I didn't really know anything about Gaudi until I started researching our trip to Barcelona.
Antonio Gaudi spent most of his life in Barcelona and the city boasts the largest concentration of his works in the world. His style is unique, often imitated but never matched.
Gaudi's ideas shaped the way of thinking about architecture for a whole generation. His influence on Catalan modernism was immense, creating a unique style that many have tried to replicate.
The first stop the tour made in Barcelona was at Sagrada Familia.
Construction of the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família began in 1882, more than a century ago. The temple is still under construction, with completion expected in 2026. It is perhaps the best known structure of Catalan Modernisme, drawing over three million visitors annually. Architect Antoni Gaudi worked on the project until his death in 1926, in full anticipation he would not live to see it finished.
Impressed? Yes, but as a church I don't know... Some people with us even described it as a monstrosity.
Sagrada Família, officially named Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família or Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, is a large Roman Catholic church and Gaudí’s magnum opus. Interestingly, the church was not Gaudí’s idea nor did he start the building. It was actually the idea of a bookseller, Josep Maria Bocabella, and the initial plans and building of the crypt were started in 1882 by architect Francisco Paula de Villar. However, Villar soon resigned and Gaudí took over the project in 1883, making radical changes to the original plans. Here in Sagrada Família, Gaudí fully devoted his time in the later years of his life, even moving into his workshop to live in 1925 until his tragic death the following year.
Gaudí died in 1926, leaving the church less than 25% completed and since then it has continued to be worked on by a number of architects and builders. It has been continued based on what information Gaudí had left behind (models, some sketches); however, given that Gaudí was constantly adapting his work as it progressed and the information left behind is not that detailed, it is probably best to think of the later work as inspired by or an interpretation of Gaudí’s work. Also a fire in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War burned down the workshop destroying many of the architect’s original plans and models.
The Nativity façade is probably the one place Gaudí had the most direct influence, and it is one of the three grand façades of the church. It is dedicated to the birth of Jesus and it is decorated with scenes reminiscent of the elements of life. Given that much of the work was completed after Gaudí’s death, only the crypt and Nativity façade are included in the UNESCO designation.
There were many active cranes working on it.
The amount of symbolism is overwhelming!
When completed it will have eighteen towers!
Packed inside.
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