Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia Reaches Its Maximum Height After More Than A Century

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona’s towering Sagrada Familia basilica reached its maximum tallness connected Friday, though nan magnum opus of Catalan designer Antoni Gaudí remains years distant from completion.

A crane placed nan precocious limb of a transverse atop nan Tower of Jesus Christ, nan church’s soaring cardinal piece, which now stands 566 feet supra nan city, nan religion said.

With Friday’s addition, nan Sagrada Familia inched person to being done. The unfinished monument became nan world’s tallest religion past twelvemonth aft different portion of its cardinal building was lifted into place.

The first chromatic of nan Sagrada Familia was placed successful 1882, but Gaudí ne'er expected it to beryllium completed successful his lifetime. Only 1 of its aggregate towers was vanished erstwhile he died astatine nan property of 73 successful 1926, aft being deed by a tram.

In caller decades, activity has sped up arsenic nan basilica became a awesome world tourer attraction, pinch group enthralled by Gaudí’s extremist artistic that combines Catholic symbolism and integrated forms.

The wrong of nan Tower of Jesus Christ is still being worked on. Its exterior is flanked by building cranes and scaffolding.

Still, topping nan cardinal tower, which soars supra nan transept, has been a privilege up of celebrations this June that will people nan centenary of Gaudí’s death. The scaffolding surrounding nan cardinal building is expected to beryllium removed by then, successful clip for nan inauguration of nan Tower of Jesus Christ, nan religion said.

As Gaudí had planned, nan transverse has 4 arms truthful its style tin beryllium recognized from immoderate direction, said Sagrada Familia’s rector, nan Rev. Josep Turull. If Barcelona’s metropolis authorities will let it, nan original scheme besides includes a ray beam sparkling from each of nan cross’s arms, symbolizing nan church’s domiciled arsenic a belief lighthouse, he added.

Millions of visitors sojourn nan Sagrada Familia each year, and entranceway fees mostly money nan ongoing construction.

This year, nan Sagrada Familia will clasp respective events to observe nan Catalan Modernist’s legacy, which includes different stunning buildings successful Barcelona and elsewhere successful Spain.

The Sagrada Familia became nan world’s largest religion past October, erstwhile it roseate supra nan spire of Germany’s Ulmer Münster, a Gothic Lutheran religion built complete much than 500 years, starting successful 1377. That religion tops retired astatine 530 feet.

At Sagrada Familia, a dream verse is included astatine nan guidelines of nan transverse installed Friday afternoon, said religion rector Turull.

It reads: “You unsocial are nan Holy One, you unsocial are nan Lord, you unsocial are nan Most High.”

Naishadham writes for nan Associated Press. AP journalists Joseph Wilson successful Barcelona, Spain, and Giovanna Dell’Orto successful Minneapolis contributed reporting.