Under construction for 142 years, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí, seems to be moving towards the completion of its construction.
Esteve Camps, the president of the organization responsible for carrying out the masterpiece of the man nicknamed the architect of God, confirmed the date of 2026, during the publication of the basilica's annual report, Wednesday March 20.
The funds necessary to begin the final phase of the work were raised thanks in particular to increased attendance.
“The year 2023 made it possible to raise the sum of 126.9 million euros, entirely of private origin.
Concerning expenses, 52% went to the construction and 26% to the management of the temple
,” underlines the press release from the basilica.
Before the advent of mass tourism, work was financed exclusively through alms, making cash flow unpredictable.
For decades, tourism has guaranteed a stable income, with nearly 5 million visitors per year paying between €25 and €40 per visit.
“Along with this resumption, the works are gaining momentum again and, as a result, construction expenditure is increasing from 43% in 2022 to 52% in 2023. Thus, the start of the final phase of the works with the completion of all the Evangelist towers (in November 2023) and the construction of the Assumption chapel and the Jesus tower is currently continuing. It is planned to complete the Chapel of the Assumption in 2025 and the Tower of Jesus Christ in 2026
,” specifies the press release.
At 172.5 meters high, the Christ Tower is designed to be the highest point of the Sagrada Família.
If the building must be completed by 2026, the date marking the centenary of the architect's death, work on the sculptures and especially on the staircase of discord leading to what will be the main entrance, should however be completed. continue until 2034, underlines
The Guardian
.
When work began in 1882, the site was virgin land, but over the years the town grew around the church.
The staircase, which would extend over two large blocks, would involve the dislocation of around 1,000 families and businesses, recalls the British daily.
Also read More than 140 years after the start of its construction, the Sagrada Familia illuminates its new towers
Even if some Gaudí experts contest this element of the decor, the president intends to follow
Gaudí's project “to the letter”
.
“We are his heirs and we cannot give up on his project.
The plan presented to the local authority in 1915 and signed by Gaudí includes the staircase
,” he said during the presentation of the annual report.
Currently in talks with the mayor of Barcelona, the municipality being responsible for deciding on the issue, Esteve Camps is awaiting a decision.
Antoni Gaudí was 31 years old when he began the construction of this monumental work to which he devoted four decades, until his death, when he was hit by a tram in 1926. The Sagrada Familia was classified as a world heritage site in 2005.