Central tower of Barcelona's Sagrada Família completed
Vatican News
With the installation of the upper arm of the cross on the Tower of Jesus Christ, carried out in Barcelona on February 20, 2026, the Sagrada Família has completed the external works of its central tower, the hightest point of the basilica. Interior work on the structure will continue throughout 2027 and 2028. The element, measuring 4.5 x 4.5 x 4.9 meters, now becomes the highest point of the Catalan Basilica. With its placement, the ensemble of the six central towers of the Sagrada Família is now complete externally.
A quotation from the Fourth Album of the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família (1927–1929) expresses the symbolic vision of the project: “Rising above the four very tall columns of the transept, the great lantern tower will soar, crowned at 176 meters by a magnificent cross with four fluted arms from which the panorama may be contemplated. At its center will be placed the Agnus Dei.”
The central tower: structure and features
The Tower of Jesus Christ stands at the center of the Basilica’s tower complex. It is surrounded by the four towers of the Evangelists—each connected to the central tower by a bridge—and by the Tower of the Virgin Mary, which is internally connected to the Tower of Jesus Christ. The tower has a twelve-sided floor plan and reaches a total height of 172.5 meters. It consists of 12 levels of panels, whose construction began on October 16, 2018, at a height of 85 meters. The panels were built using a pre-compressed stone system combining stone and steel. This method allowed elements to be prefabricated off-site and later transported and installed level by level. The final panel was completed on December 4, 2024, reaching a height of 142.5 meters.
At the base of the tower’s terminal section are inscriptions praising Jesus Christ—“Tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus” (“You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High”)—crafted in white glazed ceramic and brick and surrounded by palm motifs. This terminal section is 29 meters tall, and its construction began in May 2025. The tower is crowned by a four-armed three-dimensional cross, also clad in glass and white glazed ceramic. The cross measures 17 meters in height and 13.5 meters in width. The installation of its first element, the lower arm, took place on October 27, 2025, reaching a height of 162.91 meters.
The assembly of the cross
The cross was manufactured in Germany during 2025 and subsequently assembled almost entirely at the Sagrada Família site. The white glazed ceramic, the internal stone structure, and the stained glass were produced in various factories and workshops across Catalonia. Delivered from Germany in modules, the cross was pre-assembled on a work platform positioned 54 meters above the central nave.
The components were hoisted in seven combined sections: the lower arm, the central core, the four lateral arms, and finally the upper arm, installed on February 20, 2026. Inside the upper arm, at its highest point, a sculpture of the Agnus Dei—created by Italian artist Andrea Mastrovito—will be installed. The lamb that Antoni Gaudí envisioned at the center of the cross will thus be perfectly visible from within the cross itself.
The centenary of Gaudí
The completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ coincides with the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí—a historic milestone for the Sagrada Família and a tribute to its architect. To mark the occasion, commemorative events will be organized, with details available on the official centenary website. As Chief Architect Jordi Faulí stated: “The completion of the cross of the Tower of Jesus Christ represents much more than the conclusion of a construction phase: it is the result of years of work and study of Antoni Gaudí’s legacy. It is also a concrete commitment to the future, making possible the completion of the Sagrada Família.”
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