The expiatory temple of the Sagrada Familia, designed by architect Antonio Gaudí, will open its doors free of charge to 20,000 people on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, patron saint of Barcelona (Spain).
On September 21, 22, 23 and 24, the lucky ones who reserve a place on the basilica website Until next September 16, you will be able to know the status of the construction work on the temple that began in 1882.
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In addition to knowing in depth the masterpiece of the Catholic architect, a reference of the Catalan modernist style, for the first time a fragment of the cross that will crown one of the temple’s towers will be exhibited to the public.
These tickets will give the right to visit the interior of the Basilica, the facades, the museum and the schools with an audio guide downloadable through the temple application available on different platforms, but the towers will not be able to be visited and the guided tour service will not be available. will be enabled.
Each visitor will be assigned a time and a day, although the tickets are not nominal, so they can be transferred to other people if these times are inconvenient for any reason.
What is the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona?
The expiatory temple of the Sagrada Familia is one of the most visited monuments in Barcelona, it is among the busiest temples in Europe and is expected to be the tallest Catholic church in the world. Currently, its tallest tower reaches 138 meters, but it is expected to reach 172.5 meters.
Although the initial project was by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, he was soon dismissed, and the technical direction of the building was entrusted to Antonio Gaudí (1852-1926) even before the first stone was laid.
The first Masses could be celebrated in 1885, with the completion of the chapel of San José and from 1914, the architect, a Catholic man of great piety, dedicated himself completely to advancing the work.
Antoni Gaudí died in 1926, hit by a tram when leaving the church of San Felipe Neri, so a disciple of his took charge of the temple. During the Civil War, plans and photographs were burned, so at the end of the fratricidal conflict, the works continued with the few materials rescued from the master Gaudí’s workshop.
On November 7, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI dedicated the church and the temple’s altar and it was declared a Minor Basilica.
In December 2023, the Archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Juan José Omella, established the Canonical Association for the canonization of Antonio Gaudí, known as “the architect of God” who used to repeat: “It is not I who builds the Sagrada Familia, the Holy Family builds me.”
The temple is expected to be completed in 2026.
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.