Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica celebrates a significant milestone with a dazzling light show marking the completion of the newest towers and a step closer to completion 141 years after construction started.
For the residents of Barcelona, witnessing the additions to the Sagrada Familia has become a deeply emotional experience. Monica Torne, an English teacher, expressed the sentiment, stating, “It is very moving to see the evolution of the Church because for the people of Barcelona, seeing each little new thing being added, it is a lot of emotion, and we wanted to be there to see that.”
The highlight of the recent celebration was the completion of the final two towers, dedicated to the Evangelists Matthew and John. Soaring at an impressive 135 meters, these towers were finished in September, with symbolic figures representing a human bust and an eagle. The other two towers, dedicated to Luke and Mark and crowned by cow and lion sculptures, were completed the previous year.
Archbishop of Barcelona Juan Jose Omella blessed the structures in the basilica on Sunday before the light show kicked off.
The towers will be the basilica’s third highest once the site is completed. Only the Tower of Jesus Christ, designed by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi to be the building’s summit, remains unfinished.
Originally targeting completion by 2026, the Sagrada Familia’s construction committee faced setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, Esteve Camps, the head of the committee’s board, expressed optimism in an interview with La Vanguardia, stating that the Sagrada Familia “will be finished in 10 years maximum,” barring any major problems.
Source: Euro News
