The Sagrada Familia reaches its peak: follow the live placement of the cross
The temple will measure 172.5 meters in height and will be confirmed as the tallest religious building in Europe.
BarcelonaThe Sagrada Família will reach its highest point this Friday. Work has been underway since early morning to install the upper arm of the cross atop the Tower of Jesus. Once this operation is complete, the basilica will have reached its maximum height of 172.5 meters, confirming its status as the tallest religious building in Europe. The installation of this arm completes the cross itself, a structure 17 meters high, 13.5 meters wide, and weighing 100 tons. In the future, several spotlights will emanate from the center of this cross, clad in white ceramic and featuring glass windows, to gently illuminate the Barcelona sky. It will also serve as a viewing platform with a capacity for 11 people.
As explained a year and a half ago According to the architect in charge of the works, Jordi Faulí, the cross that will crown the top of the temple has been built following Gaudí's wishes. In his writings, Gaudí envisioned a "grand cross with four fluted arms so as to be able to contemplate the panorama." The architect's intention was that, in honor of the light of Christ, this figure would reflect the sunlight by day and project beams of light onto the city by night. To achieve this, it has been covered with pieces of gleaming, glazed white ceramic, which will cause the cross to offer a different light depending on the time of day and the weather. The pyramidal elements and curved glass will help to give the cross a crystalline effect. The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, explained on Wednesday in an interview on La 2 that "in principle" the plan is for the blessing and unveiling of the cross to take place during the visit of Pope Leo XIV, coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death. Isla noted that it is "unofficially assumed" that the Pope will visit Barcelona on June 9th and 10th, and indicated that a mass will likely be held in the basilica itself for the completion of the Tower of Jesus.
A few meters below Montjuïc
With the installation of the cross atop the tower of Jesus, the Sagrada Família will reach its maximum height of 172.5 meters. This height reflects Gaudí's insistence that his great work should not exceed the height of any other structure created by God. For this reason, he set the basilica's maximum height below Montjuïc, which stands at 177 meters above sea level.
