Barcelona woke on Friday to a changed skyline. The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia completed its ascent when workers set the upper arm of the cross atop the Tower of Jesus, bringing the church to its final height of 172.5 meters (566 feet).
The immense white ceramic cross, standing 17 meters tall — roughly the height of a five-story building, about 56 feet — now crowns the tallest tower. By Saturday morning, the basilica could be seen at its full stature, a long-anticipated milestone reached in the midst of 2026’s Gaudí Year, which marks the centenary of the architect’s death. The official inauguration and blessing of the Tower of Jesus is scheduled for June 10. It is possible that this ceremony will be led by Pope Leo himself.
“It is a day to remember all those who have made this possible,” chief architect Jordi Faulí, the seventh to lead the project in its 140-plus years, told El País. He spoke outdoors before dozens of journalists as cranes completed the delicate maneuver. In the coming weeks, scaffolding will be removed so the tower can be admired without the frame of construction. Visitors will eventually be able to enter the tower’s interior, though not before 2028.
The operation required precision. The 12-ton upper arm had been waiting on a rooftop platform 35 meters above ground, where its internal metal structure was finalized and glass elements installed. Shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Friday, the crane began lifting the piece, secured by four red cables. Before 11 a.m., workers had fixed it in place using 40 nuts tightened with hydraulic jacks.
Gaudí envisioned the cross gleaming in sunlight. Its surface includes some 15,000 ceramic pieces created from 500 molds in seven shades of white. The effect, once fully illuminated, will be luminous rather than imposing — a theological statement in stone and light.
Gaudí Year 2026
This year marks 100 years since the death of Antoni Gaudí, who died on June 10, 1926, after being struck by a tram in Barcelona.
Why is he called “Servant of God”?
The Church opened Gaudí’s cause for canonization in 2003, recognizing his reputation for holiness. He is titled “Servant of God,” the first step in the canonization process. Testimonies describe his intense sacramental life, daily Mass attendance, ascetic discipline, and his understanding of architecture as a form of praise. The Sagrada Familia was not simply a project but a mission he considered entrusted to him by God.
If declared “Venerable,” the Church would formally recognize his heroic virtue. A verified miracle attributed to his intercession would advance him toward beatification.
Since October 31, when the tower surpassed 162.9 meters, the Sagrada Familia has held the distinction of the world’s tallest church, overtaking the spire of Ulm Minster in Germany. Yet unlike modern skyscrapers, the basilica’s growth has unfolded in stages. Antoni Gaudí advanced the Nativity façade and completed the Tower of St. Barnabas before his death in 1926, ensuring that part of the vision stood visible to sustain donations and devotion alike.
Now, the Nativity and Passion façades, the towers of the apostles and evangelists, the Tower of Mary (inaugurated in 2021), and the exterior of the Tower of Jesus are complete in height. One major phase remains: the debated Glory Façade and its proposed grand staircase.
For a church born from alms and sustained through war, controversy, and a pandemic, Friday’s achievement carries spiritual resonance. The Catechism teaches that sacred art “is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God” (CCC 2502). Gaudí’s final vertical gesture now stands over Barcelona as an invitation to lift the eyes heavenward.
