Barcelona's Sagrada Família Basilica Completed After 144 Years

The Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the iconic basilica designed by Antoni Gaudí, was officially completed after 144 years of construction. The final 100‑tonne crystal cross, weighing about 100 tons and produced in Germany, was hoisted onto the Jesus Christ tower, making the church the tallest in the world at 172.5 m. The ceremony featured a papal mass blessed by Pope Leo XIV and was marked by both celebration and nearby protests over tourism pressures, rising rents and housing shortages.

Financially, the multi‑decade project is estimated at roughly $400 million, funded largely by visitor revenues. Annual budgets allocate tens of millions of euros to ongoing work, with recent reports citing €134.5 million in 2025 income and about €69.5 million directed to construction. The completion ends a prolonged building effort that endured wars, financial crises and shifting architectural stewardship, fulfilling Gaudí’s original vision for the basilica’s exterior and interior spaces.