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The Sagrada Família will be sealed off during the visit of León XIV
The area around the Sagrada Família will experience an unusual day on 10 June. The visit of Pope León XIV will require several blocks around the basilica to be sealed off, with access controls, road closures, and a large-scale police deployment that will disrupt the daily routine of residents, workers, businesses, and visitors for much of the day.
The highest security zone will include the block of the basilica and the eight surrounding it, as well as the stretch of Rosselló street where the popemobile will pass. In this perimeter, there will be no traffic or parking allowed, and only residents, accredited workers, invited guests, authorities, and press will be allowed entry. Those living or working there will need to show documentation to prove it.
The operation will be one of the largest deployed in Barcelona in recent years. It will involve 5,600 Mossos d’Esquadra officers and 500 from the Guardia Urbana, as well as personnel from other forces and emergency services. There will be units for public safety, crowd control, mobility, underground operations, intelligence, canine handlers, and teams specialising in bomb disposal.
One of the most sensitive moments will be the Pope’s arrival at the Sagrada Família. León XIV will travel more than a kilometre in the popemobile along Rosselló street, from the area of Roger de Llúria y Diagonal to Sardenya. The route will be completely fenced off and access will only be possible at specific points, with police checks and bag inspections.
Mobility will also change underground. The Sagrada Família metro station will remain closed all day on the 10th: trains will run, but will not stop at its platforms. Those wishing to approach the basilica will need to use nearby stations and walk to the permitted access points.
The main event will be the solemn mass in the basilica, scheduled for the afternoon, followed by the blessing of the tower of Jesus Christ, coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. The tower, at 172.5 metres, will make the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world once completed.
For those unable to access the immediate area, giant screens will be set up at locations such as Glòries y Arc de Triomf. The organisers want to avoid excessive crowds in the streets near the basilica and spread the public out into larger, more manageable areas.
The Pope’s visit comes to a neighbourhood used to tourism, but not to an operation of this scale. For a few hours, the Sagrada Família will cease to be just an architectural icon and become the centre of a city under watch, fenced off and alert to every movement. For Barcelona, the challenge is clear: to guarantee the safety of a historic event without forgetting that, behind the major deployment, there are residents who need to go to work, open businesses, return home, or simply cross their own neighbourhood.