Barcelona's Sagrada Familia is ready to raise its highest tower and become Europe's tallest church

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — After well over a century under construction, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica is ready to raise its immense central tower and become the tallest Christian church in Europe.

The basilica’s General Director Xavier Martínez said Thursday that “the tower will be finished at the end of this year or the beginning of 2026.”

“This is an important moment in the history of the building of the Sagrada Familia because it will reach its maximum height,” Martínez told The Associated Press. “We are used to seeing skyscrapers like those in the United States (go up), but it is remarkable that in the 21st century we are building a cathedral.”

Once the gigantic Tower of Jesus Christ is up, the masterpiece of architect Antoni Gaudí will rise to 172 meters (564 feet). That will make it taller than the Ulmer Münster church in southern Germany, which tops out at 162 meters (531.5 feet).

The first pieces are already in place and the rest will be added in phases over the coming months. Once complete, the structure will be crowned by a cross and tightly surrounded by five other towers, one dedicated to Mary and four slightly shorter ones for the four evangelists.

Work on the facades and interior will continue for several years, the church’s head of construction Esteve Camps said, but the goal is to finish building work in approximately a decade from now.

Next year will be the 100th anniversary of the death of Gaudí. The church will hold several events to celebrate his legacy, which includes several stunning buildings in Barcelona and other places in Spain.

Pope Leo XIV has been invited for a solemn Mass to be held in Gaudí’s memory on June 10, the day he died when struck by a streetcar in 1926. Sagrada Familia officials said that they hope to have a response from the Vatican in the coming weeks.

Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family in Spanish) and designated it a minor basilica in 2010.

The first stone of the Sagrada Familia was placed in 1882. Gaudí never expected it to be completed in his lifetime. Only one of its multiple towers was finished when he died.

A fervent Catholic, Gaudi incorporated both Christian symbolism and organic forms into his unique aesthetic.

Work has sped up over recent decades as the basilica became a major international tourist attraction. The money from entrance fees is used to fund the ongoing construction. Last year, 4.9 million people paid to visit it, with 15% of those tourists coming from the United States.