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Sagrada Família’s Tower of Jesus now shines after the papal blessing
Barcelona now has a new night-time silhouette. Sagrada Família’s Tower of Jesus Christ was blessed by Pope Leo XIV and turned on its light for the first time, becoming the temple’s new highest point and one of the most symbolic images of the Gaudí Year.
The ceremony was held on 10 June 2026, exactly one hundred years after the death of Antoni Gaudí. The date was no coincidence: the completion of the central tower links the tribute to the architect with one of the most anticipated milestones of a project begun in 1882.
At 172.5 metres tall, the Torre de Jesucristo makes the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. Its four-armed cross, visible from various points in Barcelona, further strengthens the basilica’s presence in the city’s skyline.
The blessing took place during a solemn mass presided over by León XIV, attended by authorities, religious representatives, and thousands of people following the event both inside and outside the temple. The Pope spoke of the tower as a symbol of the union between heaven and earth, on a day filled with religious, cultural, and architectural symbolism.
After the ceremony, the lighting of the tower marked the most eagerly awaited moment. The Sagrada Família was no longer just a work in progress, as for the first time it revealed the vertical crown that Gaudí had envisioned as the spiritual and visual centre of the whole complex.
This milestone does not mean the basilica is fully finished. There is still work to be done, especially on the Glory façade and the surrounding area, but the completion of the central tower represents one of the most significant advances in the entire construction.
For residents of the Eixample, the day also had a very urban dimension. The papal visit brought controls, closures, mobility restrictions, and a strong influx of visitors to an area already used to living with the tourist pressure of the basilica.
The illuminated Torre de Jesucristo opens a new chapter in the city’s relationship with its most recognisable monument. The Sagrada Família will remain under construction, but from now on its highest point already shines over the skyline as a visible sign of perseverance, memory, and architectural ambition.