In Barcelona, ​​the tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia is expected to be completed in 2026

"An invitation has been sent to the Holy Father, it is in the Vatican and we hope to receive a response later this month," Esteve Camps, delegate president of the basilica construction committee, said at a press conference on Thursday.

The completion of the 172,5-metre-high Tower of Jesus Christ is planned to coincide with the commemorative mass for the centenary of Gaudí's death. Gaudí died on 10 June 1926 in Barcelona after being hit by a tram.

In accordance with the Catalan architect's instructions, the tallest of the 18 towers crowning the basilica will not exceed the 177 meters of Montjuic mountain, which will continue to dominate the Barcelona skyline.

The commemorative ceremony will be one of the highlights of the celebrations marking the centenary of Gaudi's death, which are expected to last several months, according to the committee, which is financing the construction of the monument through private donations but above all through tourist ticket revenue.

These festivities will not, however, mark the complete completion of the famous basilica, the project for which was initiated in 1882, a year before Gaudí took over the reins of the work, and which has undergone many historical twists and turns.

The basilica's construction committee had initially announced the monument's full completion by 2026, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced a halt to work and a drop in tourism revenue, prompting builders to slow the project.

Despite the massive return of tourists, with nearly 4,9 million visitors last year, a new completion date has still not been set.

"We talked about ten years, but that's an estimate," reiterated its chief architect, Jordi Faulí.

Part of the uncertainty lies in the controversial staircase project to access the monument from the future main façade, which would require the demolition of some residential buildings and is the subject of delicate negotiations with Barcelona City Hall.