The Nativity Façade
West exterior [OUTDOOR] Created by sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs, the stark angular figures depict the Via Crucis and Crucifixion. A magic square with rows summing to 33 — Christ's age at death — is hidden among the figures.
01At a Glance
The Basilica of the Sagrada Família is the most extraordinary church under construction in the world — an ongoing act of architectural devotion that has spanned nearly 150 years and is still unfinished. Antoni Gaudí, who dedicated the last 40 years of his life entirely to the project and is buried in its crypt, is in the process of beatification. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 2005. Nearly 5 million people visited in 2024 alone. Gaudí conceived the building not as architecture but as catechism in stone. Every surface teaches: the Nativity façade depicts the birth and childhood of Christ in hyperrealistic detail; the Passion façade renders the suffering with stark cubist geometry; the Glory façade, still under construction, will be the most monumental entrance. The interior forest of branching columns, flooded with coloured light from stained glass of extraordinary intensity, is unlike anything else in Christian architecture. The building is expected to be completed around 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death. When the central tower of Jesus Christ reaches 172.5 metres, the Sagrada Família will become the tallest church in the world.
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Expected to become the tallest church in the world at 172.5 metres upon completion
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Antoni Gaudí, who dedicated 40 years to the project, is buried in the crypt and is being beatified Nearly 5 million ticketed visitors per year — one of the most-visited buildings in Europe UNESCO World Heritage Site — the only building added to the list before its completion The stained glass creates a breathtaking moving colour spectacle as light shifts throughout the day
02Plan Your Visit
03Must See
What to seek out, and why it matters
The Interior Forest
Central nave Gaudí designed columns to branch like trees toward a canopy of vaulted stone.
Light floods through stained glass
Lower level Antoni Gaudí died in 1926 after being struck by a tram, initially unrecognised. His cause for beatification was opened in 2000. His tomb is simple. Pilgrims leave flowers at the grave of the man who gave his life to a building he knew he would never finish.
The Tower Climb
Via interior stairs or lift in the tower Towers offer views across Barcelona and the Mediterranean. The inscription bands proclaim: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Hosanna in Excelsis. From above, the logic of the façades becomes fully apparent.
04Masses & Events
5Reflection & Prayer
Gaudí was asked when the basilica would be finished. He replied: My client is not in a hurry. He meant God. He also meant that the real building was not of stone but of the faith of the people who prayed there — a building that keeps growing as long as people keep believing. The stones stop at 172 metres. The prayer goes higher.
Psalm 127:1
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →06More
The Basilica of the Sagrada Família is the most extraordinary church under construction in the world — an ongoing act of architectural devotion that has spanned nearly 150 years and is still unfinished. Antoni Gaudí, who dedicated the last 40 years of his life entirely to the project and is buried in its crypt, is in the process of beatification. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 2005, and nearly 5 million people visited in 2024 alone.
Catechism in Stone
Gaudí conceived the building not as architecture but as catechism in stone. Every surface teaches: the Nativity façade depicts the birth and childhood of Christ in hyperrealistic detail; the Passion façade renders the suffering with stark cubist geometry; the Glory façade, still under construction, will be the most monumental entrance. The interior forest of branching columns, flooded with coloured light from stained glass of extraordinary intensity, is unlike anything else in Christian architecture.
Completion
The building is expected to be completed around 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death. When the central tower of Jesus Christ reaches 172.5 metres, the Sagrada Família will become the tallest church in the world.
Gallery5 photos
Artworks Here
Part of this pilgrimage