Construction of the Sagrada Família began in 1882 under a different architect. Gaudí took over in 1883, completely changed the design, and spent the rest of his life on it — at the end, living on site and working exclusively on this project. He expected it to take several generations. He was right: when he died in 1926, less than a quarter was complete. The building was finally finished in February 2026.
The exterior is unlike any church ever built. The Nativity facade on the east — the only facade completed under Gaudí's direct supervision — is encrusted with figures from the natural world: turtles at the base of the columns, a cypress tree swarming with doves at the peak, the birth of Christ worked into every surface. The Passion facade on the west, designed by Josep Maria Subirachs, is starker, more angular, and deliberately shocking. The interior, completed over recent decades, is extraordinary: a forest of branching stone columns supporting a canopy of starred vaults, flooded with light from the stained glass windows.
Book tickets well in advance — this is the most-visited building in Spain. A timed entry with the audio guide is the standard option; add the tower lifts for the best views.