Sagrada Família Crowned with Cross at 172.5 Meters in Gaudí Centenary Year

Completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ marks the Basilica's highest point ever and a defining milestone in the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death

BARCELONA, Spain, February 20, 2026 The Sagrada Família has reached its highest point in history, redefining Barcelona's skyline. Today, the final arm of the monumental cross was installed atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, bringing the Basilica to 172.5 meters and completing the exterior of its tallest and most symbolic structure.

Today's milestone coincides with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death, marking a historic moment in the 144-year construction of the city's iconic temple and honoring the architect whose vision continues to shape its future. While the exterior of the tower is now complete, interior work will continue in 2027 and 2028.

Resting on four monumental columns at the crossing of the Basilica, the Tower of Jesus Christ rises at the center of the six central towers. It is surrounded by the four Evangelists' towers, connected by bridges, and the tower of the Virgin Mary, linked internally. With its completion, the grouping of the central towers now stands as a defining feature of Barcelona's architectural horizon.

The panels for the tower of Jesus Christ use a tensioned-stone building system that combines stone and steel. This system made it possible to build the panels off-site, then bring them to the Temple and install them in place by levels as they were finished. The final level was completed on December 4, 2024, reaching a depth of 142.5 meters.

The base of the tower pinnacle features inscriptions praising Jesus Christ: "Tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus" (You alone are the Holy One, you alone the Lord, you alone the Most High) in white enamelled ceramic and brick, surrounded by palms. This element is 29 meters tall, and construction began in May 2025.

The tower is topped with a three-dimensional four-armed cross, clad in glass and white enamelled ceramic. It is 17 meters tall and 13.5 meters wide. The first piece of the cross, the lower arm, was put in place on October 27, 2025, taking the tower to 162.91 metres.

The cross was built in Germany in 2025 and assembled almost entirely at the Sagrada Família. The white enamelled ceramic tiles, the stone interior, and the glass were made in factories and workshops in Catalonia.

The cross arrived from Germany in several modules, pre-assembled on a work platform 54 meters above the central nave. These were taken up for installation in seven pieces: the lower arm, the core, the four arms, and the upper arm, which was put in place today.

Inside the upper arm, there will be a sculpture of the Agnus Dei created by artist Andrea Mastrovito. The Lamb Gaudí envisioned for the center of the cross will be placed on top of the upper arm, visible from inside the cross.

"Completion of the cross on the tower of Jesus Christ represents much more than the culmination of a phase of construction: it is the result of years of work and studying the legacy Antoni Gaudí left us. It is also a firm commitment to the future, to continue working to complete the Sagrada Família," said Sagrada Familia Head Architect Jordi Faulí.

The culmination of the tower of Jesus Christ coincides with the hundredth anniversary of Antoni Gaudí's death, a historic milestone for the Sagrada Família and a tribute to its architect. There will be commemorative events held all year; the programming is available on https://sagradafamilia2026.org/

For more information about the construction process of the cross, visit Sagrada Familia's blog: https://blog.sagradafamilia.org/.

Editor's note:
Video and photos of the cross on the Tower of Jesus Christ can be downloaded here: https://tinyurl.com/SagradaFamilia-GMG-022026

For more information about Sagrada Familia, visit https://sagradafamilia2026.org/.

Media Contacts (for U.S. Media):
Gabriel Marketing Group (For Sagrada Família)
Michiko Morales, michim@gabrielmarketing.com
Michael Tebo, michaelt@gabrielmarketing.com

Media Contacts (for Global Media):
Anna Perarnau, aperarnau@sagradafamilia.org
Irene Savall, press@ext.sagradafamilia.org

SOURCE Sagrada Familia