“My Client Isn’t in a Hurry”: A Milestone for Gaudí’s Masterpiece

After nearly a century and a half of construction, La Sagrada Família has finally reached one of its most significant milestones: the completion of the massive central tower dedicated to Jesus Christ. Rising 566 feet above Barcelona, the newly finished tower now makes Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece the tallest church in the world—and earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Spain to inaugurate it during ceremonies marking the centenary of Gaudí’s death.

It’s a fitting milestone for a basilica that has spent much of its existence defying convention. Construction began in 1882, yet the building permit requested by Gaudí in 1885 wasn’t officially granted until 2019—93 years after the architect’s death. For decades, crews simply continued building while the city overlooked what planners later called a “historical anomaly”: Barcelona’s most famous landmark had technically been under construction illegally for more than 130 years.

Today, the basilica’s soaring spires dominate the skyline, but the central Tower of Jesus Christ has become its defining feature. True to Gaudí’s philosophy, however, the structure was intentionally designed to remain slightly lower than nearby Montjuïc hill, because he believed no human creation should exceed the height of God’s own work in nature.

Inside, the basilica feels just as revolutionary. No special lens or photographic trickery is needed to turn the ceiling into a swirling kaleidoscope of light and color. Massive columns rise like tree trunks, shifting from square to octagonal to circular before branching overhead into a canopy of stone limbs. Sunlight pours through vivid stained glass, scattering jewel-tone patterns across the vaults above.

Considered the ultimate masterpiece of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, La Sagrada Família embodies the imagination of a man whose dean famously said upon his graduation from architecture school: “I am not sure to whom I have presented a diploma today—a madman or a genius.”

Named one of the world’s most beautiful churches by Condé Nast Traveler and The Telegraph, and praised by National Geographic as “awe-inspiring,” the basilica continues to captivate millions of visitors every year—even before full completion.

• Heaven can wait: When questioned about the slow pace of construction, Gaudí famously replied, “My client isn’t in a hurry.
• Divine comprehension: Critics complained that the Latin inscriptions atop the towers were impossible to read from the ground. Gaudí answered, “The angels can read them.”
• Riches to rags: Because the project relied entirely on donations, Gaudí sacrificed nearly all personal comforts to support it. In his final years, he dressed so poorly that after being struck by a streetcar in 1926, he was mistaken for a beggar and taken to a charity hospital ward, where he later died.
• On angels’ wings: Early plans included winged cherubs whose moving wings would ring bells in the wind. A model of the idea became a sensation at the 1910 Paris Exhibition.
• Saved from destruction: During the Spanish Civil War, anarchists destroyed many of Gaudí’s models and drawings. Though they considered demolishing the basilica itself, they feared public backlash and spared it.
• Polarizing peers: Salvador Dalí adored the church, calling it “as sensual as a woman’s skin,” while Picasso dismissed it as “a monstrosity.” Yet neither artist lived to see the completed vision realized.
• Still unfinished: Although the central tower and main structure have now reached their full height, work continues on the monumental Glory Façade, sculptural details, and grand entrance staircase—a controversial element that threatens to displace hundreds of families and businesses. Architects currently estimate final completion could come around 2034–2035—more than 150 years after the first stone was laid.

Discover the highlights of Barcelona on a panoramic tour during Iberian Voyage: Lisbon to Barcelona, and explore in more depth on an optional extension.