Virgin Mary tower on Barcelona’s Sagrada Família to be completed on Dec 8

The Sagrada Família’s Virgin Mary tower, which will become the second tallest of Barcelona’s most iconic basilica, will be completed on December 8.

It will rise as high as 138 meters and it will be crowned by a twelve-pointed star illuminating the skyline of the city.

In the making since 1882, the building is considered one of the masterpieces of Catalanoia’s genius architect Antoni Gaudí.

The tallest tower of the Sagrada Família, which still has no completion date, will be named after Jesus Christ and will stand at 172.5 meters tall.

The Jesus Christ tower will become the tallest construction on Barcelona’s skyline, only a few meters shy of the Montjuïc hill, which Gaudí didn’t want to surpass for religious reasons.

The tower will be crowned by a five-armed tridimensional star, measuring 17 meters in height, and covered with ceramics and glass. During the day, it will reflect sunlight; at night, it will illuminate the city’s skyline with its inner lights.

Due to the delay in construction works caused by the coronavirus pandemic, officials at the Sagrada Família consortium confirmed the postponement of the original completion date of the temple, set for 2026 to mark the centenary of Gaudí’s death.

Free visits at Sagrada Família

Coinciding with Barcelona’s local holiday on September 24, called La Mercè after the city’s patron saint, museums and various iconic buildings such as the Sagrada Família will be offering free visits.

Open doors day is a staple of La Mercè festivities, with this year’s official programme running from September 23-26, and featuring everything from live music and fireworks to circus shows and performances of traditional Catalan dances.

As part of its open doors day, the Sagrada Familia will also show visitors how the Jesus Christ tower will look once it is finished.