Sagrada Familia tower of Jesus Christ, Barcelona

Sagrada Familia tower of Jesus Christ

21 May 2026

Blessing and inauguration of the tower of Jesus Christ

The details of the inauguration of the tower of Jesus Christ have been announced

It will be the central moment of the Gaudí Year commemorations

The Sagrada Família has donated 4,200 tickets, which will be distributed to the public through local parishes

Barcelona, 21st of May 2026 – At a press conference this morning, the Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família presented the details of the event to bless and inaugurate the tower of Jesus Christ, which will take place on the hundredth anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death: 10 June 2026. The event will be led by Pope Leo XIV, who will bless the Basilica’s central tower in a ceremony that is expected to be one of the most meaningful moments in the Sagrada Família’s recent history.

The press conference was held in the Crossing Room, 80 metres above the ground, inside the tower of Jesus Christ (65 metres above the Temple floor). This space, between the crossing vaults and the base of the tower, has several bridges connecting it to the tower of the Virgin Mary and the four towers of the Evangelists. General Director of the Sagrada Família Xavier Martínez and Head Architect Jordi Faulí spoke at the press conference.

Xavier Martínez discussed the activities held so far for the commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of Gaudí’s death. The programme includes a total of 31 events scheduled between autumn 2025 and Christmas 2026. Of these, twelve have been held since October 2025 and nineteen are scheduled between now and the end of the year. The General Director also highlighted the €3.2 million budget for the commemoration, funded entirely by a patronage plan promoted by the Sagrada Família. He also thanked the support of the collaborating entities participating in the commemoration project: Audioguiarte, CaixaBank, Clorian Ticketing, Condis Supermercats, Cuatrecasas, Fundación Endesa, GetYourGuide, Henkel, TUI Musement, Palacios y Museos, Prosegur Security, Telefónica, Tiqets and Viking, expressing his sincerest gratitude for their collaboration.

During the press conference, he also gave a detailed schedule for 10 June 2026, when Pope Leo XIV will preside the Solemn mass at the Sagrada Família commemorating the hundredth anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. There will be a floral offering at the architect’s tomb in the crypt at 10:00 am, in a gesture of remembrance and gratitude for the architect. At 7:30 pm, the Solemn mass in tribute to Antoni Gaudí will begin, officiated by Pope Leo XIV and concelebrated by the Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, also featuring musicians and choirs from around Catalonia to fill the Basilica with their songs. Afterwards, Pope Leo XIV will go outside the Basilica and bless the tower of Jesus Christ in a celebration of great spiritual and institutional importance. Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, president of the Spanish Government and president of Generalitat de Catalunya have confirmed attendance.

The Sagrada Família has donated 4,200 tickets, which will be distributed to the public through local parishes

Before finishing, Xavier Martínez discussed the expected turnout for the event. More than 4,000 people will attend the Solemn mass in person, by invitation only, and they will follow the event outdoors via screen. The celebration can also be watched live on the institutional television feed, social media and screens put up around the city.

Photos by Pep Daudé unless stated otherwise

All photos © Fundació Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família

An additional 4,000 invitations are expected to be made available to follow the event from outside the Basilica, on Carrer de la Marina, in front of the Nativity façade. Of these invitations, 3,080 will be set aside for parish communities and 920 for the Sagrada Família and Archdiocese’s institutional commitments.

Then Jordi Faulí, head architect of the Sagrada Família, went over the main construction milestones of the tower of Jesus Christ, from when building started on 16 October 2018 with the first panels put in place 85 metres above the ground to the installation of the final piece of the cross on 20 February 2026. He described the tower’s pinnacle and the Cross, including their form, materials and symbolism. He also noted that work has been under way for several months on the internal cladding and that the figure of The Lamb of God has recently been installed. He further explained that work is in progress on the installation of a lift. In addition, the crane bracing is due to be removed shortly.

When he was finished, Jordi Faulí invited those in attendance to visit the inside of the tower of the Virgin Mary.

With this commemorative programme, the Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Família Foundation aims to make the public more aware of Antoni Gaudí and his work, as well as paying tribute to one of the most universal Catalan architects. More information about the commemorative events is available on sagradafamilia2026.org.

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Previously on e-architect:

20 February 2026

Cross lands in sky above Barcelona

• The Sagrada Família has culminated the tower of Jesus Christ with the upper arm of the cross

• This completes the exterior of the central tower, the Temple’s tallest

Barcelona, 20th of February 2026 – Today the upper arm of the cross was put in place on the tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família, a milestone that completes works on the exterior of this tower. In 2027 and 2028, works will continue inside the structure.
This piece is the highest point of the Temple, measures 4.5 metres by 4.5 metres by 4.9 metres, and completes the grouping of the six central towers of the Sagrada Família.

photo : Sean Mitchell Henry

Sagrada Familia tower of Jesus Christ Cross News

“Resting on the four extremely tall columns of the crossing, the great lantern will rise up, topped at 176 metres above the ground with a magnificent cross with four corrugated arms from which to look out over the surroundings. In the middle, the Lamb of God.”

Quart Àlbum del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, 1927-1929

The tower of Jesus Christ is the central tower of the Sagrada Família tower grouping. It is surrounded by the four towers of the Evangelists (each connected to the central tower by a bridge) and the tower of the Virgin Mary (which connects to the tower of Jesus Christ from the inside). It has 12 faces and stands 172.5 metres tall, built with 12 levels of panels that started going in on 16 October 2018, from 85 metres off the ground.

The panels for the tower of Jesus Christ use a tensioned-stone building system, combining stone and steel. This system made it possible to build the panels off-site and then bring them to the Temple and put them in place by levels when they were finished. The final level was completed on 4 December 2024, reaching 142.5 metres.

The base of the tower pinnacle features inscriptions praising Jesus Christ“Tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus” (You alone are the Holy One, you alone the Lord, you alone the Most High) in white enamelled ceramic and brick, surrounded by palms. This element is 29 metres tall and construction began in May 2025.

The tower is topped with a three-dimensional four-armed cross, clad in glass and white enamelled ceramic. It is 17 metres tall and 13.5 metres wide. The first piece of the cross, the lower arm, was put in place on 27 October 2025, taking the tower to 162.91 metres.

photo : Sean Mitchell Henry

Assembling the cross: key info

It was built in Germany in 2025 and assembled almost entirely at the Sagrada Família. The white enamelled ceramic tiles, stone interior and glass were made in factories and workshops in Catalonia.

The cross arrived from Germany in several modules that were pre-assembled on a work platform 54 metres above the central nave. These were taken up to be installed in seven pieces: the lower arm, the core, the four arms and the upper arm, which was put in place today, 20 February 2026.

Inside the upper arm there will be a sculpture of the Agnus Dei created by artist Andrea Mastrovito. The Lamb Gaudí envisioned for the centre of the cross will be placed on top of the upper arm, visible from inside the cross.

The culmination of the tower of Jesus Christ coincides with the hundredth anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, a historic milestone for the Sagrada Família and a tribute to its architect. There will be commemorative events held all year, the programming is available on https://sagradafamilia2026.org/

In the words of the Head Architect Jordi Faulí:

“Completion of the cross on the tower of Jesus Christ represents much more than the culmination of a phase of construction: it is the result of years of work and studying the legacy Antoni Gaudí left us. It is also a firm commitment to the future, to continue working to complete the Sagrada Família.”

For more information about the construction process of the cross, you can consult https://blog.sagradafamilia.org/

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Previously on e-architect:

Barnabas Tower

Barnabas tower commemoration – Antoni Gaudi architecture. Guide to famous building in Catalonia, Spain.

post updated 1 December 2025

Sagrada Família hosts commemoration of hundredth anniversary of Barnabas tower

Sagrada Familia

Barcelona, 30 November 2025 -This evening, the Basilica of the Sagrada Família hosted an event commemorating the hundredth anniversary of the completion of the tower of Barnabas, the first of the eighteen towers Antoni Gaudí designed and the only one the architect lived to see finished.

The event aimed to commemorate this important moment in history, a tangible symbol of the beginning of a dream shared by generations that will culminate with the central tower dedicated to Jesus Christ.

During the event, the Sagrada Família neighbourhood castellers created a human tower and the tower of Barnabas was lit up. It also featured a conversation with Dr Jordi Faulí, head architect of the Sagrada Família, and Dr Chiara Curti, architect and PhD in Art History:

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Previously on e-architect:

Post updated 31 October 2025

Sagrada Familia is the Tallest Church in the World

The Sagrada Família has become the tallest church in the world, after construction workers placed the first part of a cross at the top of its central tower.