Barcelona's famously unfinished Sagrada Familia church to be completed by 2026
The majestic Roman Catholic monument attracts millions of tourists to Spain's Barcelona every year.
Monday 25 March 2024 12:15, UK
Barcelona's Sagrada Familia is set to finally be completed by 2026, a whole 144 years since work on the monumental basilica started.
Designed by celebrated Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, who is buried in the church's crypt, the world-renowned piece of architecture is famously unfinished.
According to La Sagrada Familia Foundation, the organisation tasked with the construction and preservation of the church, work on the monument will be finished in two years' time, coinciding with the centenary of Gaudi's death.
Back in November, the Spanish city of Barcelona celebrated the completion of the church's four towers.
Each tower represents one of the four evangelists, Matthew, John, Mark and Luke - the reputed writers of the gospels that told the story of Jesus's life.
Work is now under way to complete the Chapel of the Assumption and the tower of Jesus Christ, which are expected to be finished by 2025 and 2026 respectively.
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The church's first stone was laid in 1882, which means it has been under construction for 142 years.
The vast monument and UNESCO World Heritage site draws millions of visitors each year.
Gaudi, who died in 1926, dedicated much of his professional life to Sagrada Familia.
His unfinished work has become a symbol of Barcelona around the world.
Ongoing construction work is based on the architect's plaster models, and photos and publications of his original drawings, which were destroyed in a 1930s fire, according to the La Sagrada Familia Foundation.