Sagrada Familia

Right here is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, and workers have been building it for over 140 years. The Sagrada Familia stands as one of the most ambitious architectural projects ever conceived, with a story as extraordinary as its towering spires. Rising above the grid planned streets of the Eixample district, this basilica began construction on March 19, 1882, under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar.

One year later, a 31 year old Antoni Gaudí took over and completely transformed the design. He devoted 43 years of his life to this single building, working so obsessively that he eventually lived in a workshop on site. When Gaudí was struck and killed by a tram in 1926, only a quarter of the church was complete. He is buried in the crypt beneath the basilica he never finished. Ten years later, during the Spanish Civil War, anarchists set fire to the building and destroyed most of his original plans and models. Architects have been reconstructing his vision ever since.

Pope Benedict XVI consecrated it as a basilica in 2010. When completed in 2026, the central tower will reach 172.5 meters, making it the tallest church building in the world. Gaudí designed it one meter shorter than nearby Montjuïc mountain, believing human creations should not surpass God's work. The entire construction has been funded solely by private donations and visitor tickets.