CV NEWS FEED // Barcelona’s colossal Basilica the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family,) is finally set to finish after its infamously drawn out construction period of over 140 years.
According to a March 20 announcement from the landmark cathedral, the final renovations on the Chapel of the Assumption and the tower of Jesus Christ will be complete by 2026.
Begun by one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, the modernist and naturalist Antonio Gaudí, the ambitious project has been in construction since March 19, 1882.
It is now considered the most expansive, and longest unfinished architectural project in the world today.
According to its website, the basilica has faced a range of setbacks, including those related to the pandemic, funding, construction permits, and Gaudí’s death in 1926, “one of the first instances to have halted the progress of the Church’s construction.”
As Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported in December 2023, the process for Gaudí’s beatification is currently underway.
“Though not known as a practicing Catholic in his earlier years, Gaudí is said to have had a conversion of heart after he began working on the Sagrada Familia,” the report stated, adding that “As the work on the basilica progressed, Gaudí became known for his fasting, asceticism, and devotion to God.”
Gaudí was famously on his way to confession when he was hit by a tram, resulting in his death three days later.
From the start of its construction, the Sagrada Familia has remained entirely self- funded, as Gaudí was allegedly “reluctant about finding the project through private investors.” The church continues to rely on tourism and donations to fund its construction.
According to a report from traveling blogger “The Points Guy,” Sagrada Familia saw more than 4.7 million visitors in 2023, “and more than half of [its] income of 126.9 million euros ($137 million) was used for construction” in that same year.
“In addition to tourists, the church hosted nearly 52,000 worshippers across 66 international masses in 2023, with nearly 300,000 people visiting the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament at the basilica,” the report added.
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