The Sagrada Família assumes that the dispute over the steps will end up in court.

BarcelonaThe Sagrada Família is finalizing the work to complete what will be the icing on the cake of the events commemorating the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death. Although it won't be open to visitors until later, the viewing cross that will crown the Sagrada Família's tallest tower will be ready in June 2026, coinciding with the anniversary of the death of the architect who designed the basilica. This figure, 17 meters high, 13.5 meters wide, and weighing 100 tons, will bring the tower of Jesus Christ to a height of 172.5 meters (it currently measures about 155 meters) and make the Sagrada Família the tallest religious building in Europe. It will be one of the milestones of a temple that still faces, however, the challenge of the staircase. An issue that the construction board acknowledged this Thursday will end up in court.

With negotiations between the Sagrada Família and Barcelona City Council still ongoing, those responsible for the temple assume that the dispute over the grand staircase designed by Gaudí between Mallorca and Valencia Streets—which would involve debris on two city blocks—will most likely end up in court. "Those affected would not agree; it's common sense. We must anticipate that there will be people who will file objections," acknowledged the president of the construction committee, Esteve Camps.

However, Camps expressed his conviction that "the staircase will be built," and noted that in the negotiations with the City Council, "the method of doing so is being discussed." The staircase was already included in Gaudí's original design, and in fact, the 1976 General Metropolitan Plan (PGM) reserved a wide two-island promenade so that the basilica would have a clearly visible, open access from Avinguda Diagonal. However, this did not prevent the construction of homes that are now located in the same location where this project is planned. For this part of the work to go ahead, the affected apartments would have to be demolished, with municipal authorization. "I'm waiting to see what comes out of the negotiations," Camps admitted.

For now, however, work is focused on the Chapel of the Assumpta, next to Provença Street, and on the Glòria façade. Also on the viewing cross, which will be assembled in the coming months. The construction board expects that all the pieces will be assembled by the beginning of the year and that it will be ready to be displayed without scaffolding by June.

Earrings of Pope Leo XIV

It will be one of the highlights of the events commemorating the centenary of Gaudí's death, which will begin in October of this year and will continue until December 2026. The most solemn moment will be a mass in the basilica coinciding with the date of the architect's death, June 10, with the participation of choir members from all over Catalonia. The temple has not yet received a response from the Vatican regarding the invitation for a visit by the Pope, but if Leo XIV were to choose that same date to visit the Sagrada Familia, he would officiate the memorial mass for the most famous Catalan architect.

Minutes of the centenary of Gaudí's death

This Thursday, Camps also explained the "broad and diverse" program that has been prepared to commemorate the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death. The program will kick off on October 14th with a solemn mass presided over by the Cardinal and Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Joan Josep Omella. The program will be open to the public until the event is complete.

From November 30th to May 26th, the exhibition "1925-2025. One Hundred Years since the Completion of the Torre de Bernabé. Gaudí's First Evidence at the Sagrada Família" will be open to the public. The exhibition aims to show how construction methods have evolved from Gaudí's time to the present day. It also provides an insight into how Gaudí combined technical aspects with the symbolic elements that give shape and meaning to the towers. The exhibition includes a detailed model of the Torre de Bernabé's terminal and the bell that Gaudí was able to test during his lifetime.

To mark the centenary of Gaudí's death, a concert with the Orfeó Català will be offered on March 19, 2026, and from April 27 to July 31, 2026, the exhibition 'La Sagrada Familia and Barcelona: 144 years of shared path' has been scheduled, which will delve into the history of this emblematic monument and collective project that has become a symbol of Barcelona and a World Heritage Site.