Sagrada Família

사그라다 파밀리아

The Sagrada Família is a huge Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Its full name means "Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family". Building started in 1882, and it is still not completely finished, making it one of the longest-running building projects in the world.

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At a glance

Country: Spain
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Built: 1882–
Height: 172 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Sagrada Família?

Sagrada Família is in Barcelona, Spain.

How tall is Sagrada Família?

Sagrada Família is about 172 m tall.

Gaudí's towering basilica, under construction since 1882 and famous for its organic, fantastical forms.

Gaudí mixed Gothic church traditions with flowing, nature-inspired shapes, so the stone looks almost like it is growing. In February 2026 its central Tower of Jesus Christ reached its full height of 172.5 metres, making the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. Parts of it, including the Nativity façade and the crypt, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated it as a basilica.

History

The first stone was laid on 19 March 1882 under another architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar. A year later Gaudí took over and changed the plans into something far more ambitious. From 1914 he worked on nothing else, until he died in 1926. By then less than a quarter of the church was built, and only one bell tower, dedicated to Saint Barnabas, was finished. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, his workshop was set on fire and many of his plans and plaster models were destroyed. Builders later pieced his ideas back together from saved fragments and photographs.

How it is being built

The church has always been paid for by private donations and visitors' tickets, which is one reason it has taken so long. In the past, workers used wooden scaffolding and traditional tools. Today computer design programs and computer-controlled cutting machines shape the stones much faster, and some sections are assembled before being lifted into place. Construction passed the halfway point in 2010, and work continues on the parts that remain, including the main Glory façade.

What's special about the design

Gaudí planned 18 spires: twelve for the Apostles, four for the Evangelists (the writers of the Gospels), one for the Virgin Mary and the tallest for Jesus Christ. Fourteen had been completed by 2026. The church has three grand façades: the Nativity façade facing east, the Passion façade facing west and the Glory façade facing south. Inside, columns branch out like trees in a stone forest, and there are hardly any straight lines or right angles anywhere.

Fun facts

Gaudí worked on it for over 40 years, until his death in 1926.
Gaudí is buried in the church's crypt.
Only one of its towers was finished while Gaudí was alive.
A glowing 7-metre, twelve-pointed crystal star sits on top of the Tower of the Virgin Mary.
Five generations of Barcelona's people have watched the church slowly rise.