Barcelona’s world-famous Sagrada Família has just climbed higher than ever before.
Builders have placed the final element atop its tallest tower, lifting a 17-metre white cross onto the Jesus Christ tower and officially making the basilica the tallest church in the world at 172.5 metres.
With that single dramatic addition, the unfinished masterpiece has overtaken Ulm Minster, which previously held the height record.
Yet despite this milestone, the basilica’s long story is still unfolding, with full completion expected in the coming years rather than immediately.
The tower that crowns Gaudí’s vision
The Jesus Christ tower is the highest of the 18 spires originally imagined by
Antoni Gaudí, who devoted the final years of his life almost entirely to the project.
Hoisting the cross into place was a delicate operation, carried out by suspended workers and heavy lifting equipment as crowds gathered below to watch. For many locals, it felt less like construction work and more like witnessing history being quietly written into the skyline.
Chief architect Jordi Faulí described the moment simply: a long-awaited step finally achieved.
A monument that never stops attracting the world
More than a century after workers laid the first stone in 1882, the Sagrada Familia remains one of Europe’s most extraordinary building projects and the beating heart of architectural tourism in Barcelona.
In 2024 alone, around 4.8 million visitors passed through its doors, making it Spain’s most visited ticketed church. Its soaring spires, sculpted façades and dreamlike interior light continue to mesmerise, even while cranes still dot the horizon above it.
Few landmarks allow visitors to witness both a historic monument and an active construction site at the same time, which adds to its enduring fascination.
Not finished yet, but closer than ever
Although the tallest point is now complete, major sections remain, including elements around the vast Glory Façade and surrounding public space. The city council is actively working with residents to manage changes to nearby streets and buildings.
Planners originally hoped to complete the basilica for the centenary of Gaudí’s death in 2026, but funding interruptions and the pandemic have pushed the timeline back.
Still, each new stone brings the basilica closer to the architect’s once-radical vision.
