On June 10, the inauguration ceremony of the last tower of the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) church, the Tower of Jesus Christ, took place in Barcelona. The inauguration was attended by about 120 000 people, the royal family and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and was presided over by Pope Leo XIV. The ceremony ended with a light show using drones and fireworks.
Euronews writes about the details.
Architect Antoni Gaudí began construction in 1882 and dedicated more than four decades of his life to the project. The official opening of the last tower was timed to coincide with the centenary of the architectʼs death, on June 10, 1926.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated a special mass in memory of Gaudí. He also blessed the new tower, which made the cathedral the tallest church in the world, at 172.5 meters high. The basilica now has 18 towers: 12 dedicated to the apostles, four to the evangelists, one to the Virgin Mary, and the large central one to Jesus Christ.
After the mass inside the basilica, Pope Leo XIV stepped outside to bless the large illuminated ceramic cross that crowns the new tower. A childrenʼs choir performed several pieces of music, and a light show transformed the basilicaʼs famous stained glass windows into a colorful mosaic of colors visible from the outside. The ceremony ended with fireworks launched from the facade of the basilica.
The completion of the tower marked one of the most important periods in the history of the building. However, the work is not yet complete. The basilica is planned to be completed within the next ten years.
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