The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is a Roman Catholic basilica designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) and probably the most emblematic of all Barcelona’s attractions.

Construction of Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and Gaudí began working on the project in 1883. He combined Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms and the basilica became his life’s work. Still incomplete, La Sagrada Família, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is projected to be finished in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death.

Origins

In 1866 Josep Maria Bocabella i Verdaguer, the owner of a religious bookstore, founded of the Spiritual Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph. In 1881, enabled by various donations, the Association purchased a 12,800m² plot of land, located between the streets of Marina, Provença, Sardenya, and Mallorca, to build a temple on.

Construction began in 1882 following the Neo-gothic design drawn up by the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano. He resigned from the post of chief architect and the job fell to Antoni Gaudí who began work on the church in 1883.