The Basilica of the Sagrada Família celebrated Nov. 30 the centennial of the completion of the building’s first tower, the only one its architect, Ven. Antoni Gaudí, saw completed during his lifetime.
The celebratory event included a choral performance as the Tower of Saint Barnabas was illuminated, a reading of a manifesto in tribute to Ven. Gaudí, and a building of a human tower — a historic Catalonian tradition.
Jordi Faulí, the basilica’s chief architect, and Chiara Curti, an architect and scholar of Ven. Gaudí, shared information about the building of the tower, explaining the symbolism and details adorning the structure.
Curti also reflected on the fact that the celebration coincided with the first Sunday of Advent, noting that both the beginning of Advent and the tower embody a time of waiting for completion. One looks forward to Christmas, the other to the finishing of the Tower of Jesus Christ, scheduled for June 2026.
The event concluded with the building of a castell, a traditional Catalonian performance that creates a human tower several levels high. Marta Otzet, the basilica’s director of culture and socioeducational action, said that Gaudí drew on the mechanical structure of the castell to design the Sagrada Família towers and he found the symbolism of the castell — people helping each other ascend towards Heaven — a fitting model for the towers of the basilica.
The event is part of a months-long celebration at Sagrada Família to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ven. Gaudí’s death and to honor the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ, the basilica’s main tower. Previously, Sagrada Família hosted a choral concert featuring children’s choirs from across Europe. Special Masses and exhibitions at the basilica have been scheduled.
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