The most famous work of the famous architect Gaudí is the Temple of the Reconciliation of the Holy Family, or La Sagrada Família, a monumental building considered the landmark of the city.

Its construction began in 1882 and continues to this day.

Gaudí, who dedicated his life to this temple, spent more than 40 years on the construction. At the time of his unexpected death, only one of the eighteen planned towers, the neo-Gothic crypt and the eastern façade had been completed, which corresponds to about a tenth of his plans.

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Gaudí's project for the ages

The then-not-so-well-known architect Antonio Gaudí began work on the construction of the Holy Family Cathedral in 1883, initially as a plan for a small parish church on the outskirts of Barcelona, but later the small project became an effort to build the largest shrine in Christianity.

Gaudí was influenced by many architectural movements, from Art Nouveau to Art Nouveau, Neo-Gothic, Cubism and Modern Architecture, and the Sagrada Família looks like it too - an incredible and beautiful mix of all these movements.

When Gaudí died in 1926, there was debate about whether to continue the challenging and megalomaniacal construction. In the end, the building continued to be built, trying as much as possible to adhere to the wishes and ideas of Antoni Gaudí, although it is thought that at least the colours of the façade and exteriors were intended to be much more vivid.

The roof structure, for example, was only completed in 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church.

When will the Sagrada Família be completed?

Apart from the difficulty of the construction, the reason for its long duration is simple. All funding comes solely from donations and admission fees.

No private companies, public money, or government are involved in any way in the funding. It is expected that the temple could be completed in 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death.

From the beginning, Gaudí worked with the symbolism of the Holy Family and adapted the final form of the cathedral to this. It will boast a total of 18 towers symbolising the 12 apostles, the 4 evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. The tower of Jesus Christ is to be the tallest church tower in the world at 170 metres.

Rich and wild interiors

The temple has a very unusual appearance from the outside, but you will be all the more fascinated by its interior.

Inside, you can admire the very unusual shapes of the ceilings with their regular yet unusual lines, the massive columns and the really very ornate stained glass windows that create a day-long play of light.

A visit to the cathedral is bound to leave a deep impression even on travellers who are otherwise not very interested in architecture.

Admission and opening hours

Admission fees are normally divided into a ticket for the cathedral only and a ticket that allows you to take the elevator to both the north and south towers. However, due to construction, access to the towers is currently not possible.

It is recommended to buy the ticket online on the official website.

The price is the same as on site and the disadvantage is the exact time of the visit, but in return you can avoid the queues of up to two hours that are frequent especially in summer and at weekends.

• Adults - 26 eur
• Young people between 11-30 years old - 24 eur
• Seniors over 65 - 21 eur
• Children under 11 - Free

Open daily from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Admission to the 9:00 am mass (every day) is of course free, but beware, most masses are held in the small basement nave so you can't see into the main part of the church.

• For official information, visit sagradafamilia.org.

Location and transport

The Sagrada Família stands roughly in the middle of Barcelona, about 2 km from the historic centre and the sea. Apart from walking, it is of course very accessible by public transport.

• Metro: Sagrada Família station about 20 metres away - lines L2, L5
• Bus: Mallorca - Marina stop approx. 20 metres - lines 19, 33, 34, B24, D50, H10

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