The spectacular inauguration of the latest major tower of the Sagrada Familia turned Barcelona on Wednesday into the stage for a historic celebration. Thousands of people packed the streets around the basilica designed by Antoni Gaudí to attend a ceremony marked by emotion and music, a drone show, and an impressive display of lights and fireworks that illuminated the city’s most emblematic monument.
The ceremony was presided over by Pope Leo XIV, who celebrated a special Mass to mark the centenary of Gaudí’s death – he devoted more than four decades of his life to designing and building the basilica – and blessed the new Tower of Jesus Christ, the tallest of the basilica’s spires and the one that has turned the Sagrada Familia into the tallest church in the world.
Some 120,000 people gathered in the streets around the basilica, where a large security operation was deployed due to the presence of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.
After the Mass, celebrated inside the basilica, Leo XIV came outside to bless the large illuminated ceramic cross that crowns the new tower. As a children’s choir performed several pieces, a spectacular light show transformed the temple’s famous stained-glass windows into a mosaic of colours visible from outside. The ceremony culminated with fireworks launched from the basilica’s façade.
During his homily, the pontiff described the Sagrada Familia as a masterpiece of ‘stone, colour and light’ and said that it represents ‘a sign of unity and harmony for the whole of Spain’.
The tallest church in the world
The new Tower of Jesus Christ rises to a height of 172.5 metres and has become the most striking feature of Barcelona’s skyline. With its completion, the Sagrada Familia is now officially the tallest church in the world. The basilica now has 18 towers: 12 dedicated to the apostles, four to the evangelists, one to the Virgin Mary and the great central tower dedicated to Jesus Christ.
Although the completion of this tower marks one of the most important milestones in the building’s history, work on the site is still not finished. The full construction of the basilica is scheduled for completion in the next decade.
A forest of stone and light
The Sagrada Familia is regarded as one of the most extraordinary works of architecture in the world. Inside, huge columns inspired by tree trunks soar towards the vaulted ceilings, creating the sensation of being in a forest.
Light is another of the building’s great protagonists. The blue and green hues of the stained-glass windows facing east illuminate the Nativity façade, while reddish and orange tones bathe the Passion façade at sunset. Behind the altar, golden tones predominate, evoking glory and divinity.
Gaudí summed up his inspiration in a phrase that still captures the spirit of the work: ‘Nature is my teacher’. A century after his death, his creation continues to grow and move millions of visitors from all over the world.