2023-11-13 13:03:16
The Sagrada Família construction site reached a new level on Sunday November 12. The four Evangelist Towers were inaugurated and lit up for the first time on Sunday evening.
Slowed down by the Covid pandemic, the construction of the Basilica and Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família (its full name) seems to have gained new momentum since the resumption of activity. Overview of the major stages of the construction of the Sagrada Família.
1874-1950: the first drafts of the creation of the building
In 1874, a group called the Society of Adorers of Saint Joseph proposed the construction of a church in Barcelona, the construction of which would be financed through donations. For this project, the company purchased the land and hired architect Francisco de Villar. In 1882, Bishop Urquinaona laid the first stone of the neo-Gothic monument. To this day, the Sagrada Família is still financed by donations and private funds.
A year later, the famous architect Antoni Gaudí took over from Villar. And it is this signature that posterity will keep. The plans and architectural style were radically modified: the young Gaudí planned to build 5 naves and 18 towers. In 1885, the chapel of Saint-Joseph was inaugurated in the crypt and the first services began to be celebrated.
Construction of the Nativity façade began in 1891. In 1926, Antoni Gaudi died, run over by a tram. It was Francesc de Paula Quintana who took charge of managing the site at the start of the Second World War, but the site remained at a standstill until 1950.
1952-1986: the basilica takes shape
In 1952, the staircase on the Nativity façade was completed and lit for the first time. Two years later, the first stone of the facade of “the Passion” (the second facade) was laid. Francesc de Paula Quitana died in June 1966 and two architects, Isidre Puig i Boada and Lluís Bonet i Garí, took over from him.
The 1970s were marked by two highlights: the end of the construction of the bell towers of the Passion facade and the start of the construction of the facades of the side naves. Likewise, the first four towers of the apostles were erected.
From 1983, the site had a new architect: Francesc Cardoner i Blanch. Jordi Bonet i Armengol is appointed site manager. A year later, Josep Maria Subirachs was commissioned to create the sculptures for the Passion facade.
2005-2033: towards the end of a 140-year-old project?
In 2002, work began on the third facade, that of “Glory”. A sign of the symbolic importance of the building, the facade of the Nativity and the crypt were declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2005. Five years later, the interior was officially completed and Pope Benedict XVI dedicated the monument to Saint Eulalia, opened it to religious worship and elevated it to the rank of minor basilica.
In 2012, Jordi Faulí took over as chief architect and site manager. The foundation of the towers of the Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ begins. In 2020, the continuation of the project was once again slowed down by the health crisis. Work will not resume until October 2020.
On December 8, 2021, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Tower of the Virgin Mary is inaugurated. To date, the Christ Tower, 175.5 meters high, is the only one not yet finished. The builders plan to complete it in 2026.
The entire building could be completely finished “in ten years maximum”, assures Esteve Camps, president of the board of directors of the building, on the condition that the construction site no longer encounters ” major problem “.
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