I’ve visited hundreds of Roman Catholic cathedrals, basilicas, chapels, and churches in Europe, but Sagrada Familia in Barcelona isn’t just any old church; it’s an extraordinary edifice with a remarkable history. It also has a fantastic design, complete with soaring spires, towers, and an intricately carved facade. Designed by the legendary architect Antoni Gaudí, its construction began on March 19, 1882.
More than 140 years later, the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família remains the largest unfinished church in the world. However, its completion is within sight. The foundation behind the cathedral recently announced that construction will be finalized early in 2026.
Gaudí’s vision for la Sagrada was so complicated and detailed that it has kept architects and construction workers busy for generations. Amazingly, the enormous project hasn’t used public funding, with the estimated construction cost placed at €25 million a year.
I’ve visited la Sagrada twice, but look forward to returning when it’s finally finished.
Travel Between The Pages 
n England York Mister took two hundred and forty-two years, but by comparison St Paul’s in London was rushed up in only thirty-one, Notre Dame in Paris took one hundred and eighty-five years, Seville in Spain one hundred and eighteen years and St Peter’s in Rome one hundred and twenty years and although this might seem like snail’s pace construction all of these were positively rapid compared to Milan at five hundred and seventy-nine years and Cologne in Germany at six hundred and thirty-two years.