Antoni Gaudi dedicated his last 12 years exclusively to the Sagrada Familia. In 1925, he gave up his home at Park Guell and moved into the basilica's workshop entirely. He died before finishing it. On June 10, 2026, the coincidence of a century landed.

The Date Nobody Could Have Planned

On June 7, 1926, Gaudi was struck by a tram in Barcelona while walking to Sant Felip Neri church for his daily prayer and confession. Because of his worn clothes, bystanders mistook him for a beggar. He was taken to the Hospital de la Santa Creu and died three days later on June 10. He was buried in the crypt beneath his unfinished church.

One hundred years later to the day, Pope Leo XIV held Mass in Barcelona and solemnly blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ - the central and tallest spire of the Sagrada Familia. At 172.5 meters, it is now the tallest church on Earth. The date was chosen deliberately to mark the centenary of Gaudi's death. Some 120,000 people filled the streets outside for the ceremony, attended by Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.

144 Years of Construction

Work began on March 19, 1882, under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Gaudi took over in 1883 and redesigned the project from the ground up. At the time of his death, barely a quarter of the building was finished. The Spanish Civil War later destroyed many of his original plans, which architects pieced back together from photographs and plaster models. Five generations of craftspeople continued the work across nearly a century and a half.

The Record It Broke

In October 2025, the rising central tower pushed past Germany's Ulm Minster at 161.53 meters - a record Ulm had held for 135 years. The crowning cross was installed on February 20, 2026, locking the tower at its final height of 172.5 meters. The full basilica, including remaining interior and tower work, is projected for completion around 2034.

Still Below It All

Gaudi is buried in the Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, inside the crypt of the basilica he designed. He is there now, beneath the world's tallest church. The Vatican opened canonization proceedings for him in 2003.

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