The two newer towers of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia were lit up for the first time on Friday evening. This brings architect Antoni Gaudí’s world-famous basilica one step closer to being finished with construction after 140 years.
Atop the newly rounded towers are an ox and a lion. They symbolize the evangelists Luke and Mark. Although the building is not finished yet, it attracts millions of visitors every year.
The lights came on after a Christmas concert at the Sagrada Familia and will be on every night until January 8 as part of the holiday season.
It is unclear when the basilica will be fully finished. The goal is a completion date of 2026, exactly one hundred years after Gaudí’s death, but that goal no longer seems feasible due to the corona pandemic.
Three of the six central towers are now finished. The tower in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a star on top, was completed a year ago.
Another angel and an eagle
The towers for the evangelists Matthew and John are to be completed in 2023. An angel and an eagle come to those peaks.
The construction of the Jesus Christ Tower is expected to be completed in 2026. It will be 172.5 meters tall and will make the Sagrada Familia the tallest building in Barcelona.
The foundation stone of the Sagrada Familia was laid in 1882. The architect Gaudí became involved just a year later and worked on the church until his death over forty years later.
The project is not yet completed for various reasons. Construction was delayed due to financial problems and vandalism during the Spanish Civil War, among other things.
