Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família in Barcelona has completed its 18th and final tower, the Tower of Jesus Christ, topped with a glass and ceramic cross. On June 10, the centennial of Gaudí's death, Pope Leo XIV will bless the tower at a mass attended by Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, marking the symbolic completion of the basilica after 144 years of construction. The project, which began in 1882 under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar and was taken over by Gaudí a year later, has survived the Spanish Civil War and the destruction of original plans, with craftsmen reconstructing his vision from photographs and models.
This milestone matters because the Sagrada Família is one of the world's most iconic unfinished buildings and a masterpiece of Catalan Modernism. Its completion—even as work continues for another decade—represents a historic moment for Barcelona and global architecture, akin to the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower or Taj Mahal. The event also highlights the enduring legacy of Gaudí, whose religious fervor and nature-inspired design transformed the city, and the generations of craftsmen who have dedicated their lives to realizing his vision.