This Church Took More Than 136 Years To Build

Every tourist-worthy city boasts its synonymous landmark; London sports Tower Bridge, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, and New York dazzles with the Statue of Liberty. In the same fashion, Barcelona has its awe-inspiring Sagrada Familia.
The basilica is an icon of the nation, a symbol of the Catholic church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s still… unfinished?

That’s right - today, more than 135 years after the cornerstone of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia was laid, it continues to be surrounded by cranes; it continues to cost the government millions of dollars, AND it’s existence is entirely illegal.

Despite its chaotic history and its unfinished facade, the beautiful basilica remains a marvelous example of Gothic architecture, drawing in tens of thousands of tourists every day.

So why did it take so long to build? What makes it illegal? And what’s the Barcelona government doing about it? Stay tuned to find out.

[Mrpoopy]

I built it alone that’s why it took so long

[marendins]

It doesn't cost the government "bilions of dollars" because its construction is funded exclusively by private donations, following Antoni Gaudí's wishes. This is also one of the main reasons why it's taking so long to build.

[chad]

I remember when this opened 136 years ago.

[heyitsfadoua]

I was born in Barcelona so this city is super important to me. I love La Sagrada Família for what it is. I'm not even a Catholic Christian but I love it for how impressive of a human structure it is. I've been inside 10 years ago in a school trip. It was magical, I can't even begin to describe how awesome its structure looked from the inside. Please go visit it. It's amazing.

[bethal]

I've been there in 2016 and it's a must see if ever in Barcelona. It's very impressive.

[ejtamayo]

I went to the Sagrada Familia when I visited Barcelona last winter. It is so beautiful. The interior, design, and stained glass windows are amazing. You are also able to go up through the disciple towers in the front to almost the top of the building. The view from up there is beautiful, you can see almost all of Barcelona.

[arunbanotra]

When ever I see church is feel so peaceful and happy but when ever I saw a mosque I feel threatened and unsafe. I don’t know why

[joshuabarrios]

As someone who's born and raised in Barcelona. Barcelonians tend to forget that we have such a marble of a monument in our city. We often don't even pay attention to it even if we live close by, that's how common la Sagrada Familia is for us.

In fact most Barcelonians have only seen once or twice the inside of La Sagrada Familia. The long queues and the expensive ticket fees are the biggest deterrents.

[ernievillegas]

Wow! Architect Antonio Gaudi knew his BOSS is not in a hurry! I got a goosebumps every time I look this church. Amazing God!

[javierpacheco]

I'm a guadi expert this style is a mix of gothic, Spanish, and catalan Modernism style. The architect is Antoni Gaudi and he is my favorite architect and he is my inspiration to become an architect. He is so passionate about architecture such as me.

[derekwhite]

It is even more amazing in person. It is just absolutely stunning. If you ever have the chance to go see it, I would get your tickets ahead of time

[sitiyuliana]

Iglesia Extraordinaria Muy Magnífica Y Hermosa. Que el pueblo de España tenga también un corazón magnífico y hermoso para alabar a Dios. Saludos desde el este de Indonesia❤️

[TaskForce_]

But when it will be finally build it will be one of the best Catholic Churches in the world.

[julianedwards]

It looks so much different!! I remember when they first started building it 136 years ago

[llllllllllllllIIlIllIIllIIIIll]

Jesus Christ appeared to me in a radical way and changed my life forever. Jesus is the only way to heaven.

[elizabethbrown]

I hope to see it completed in my lifetime. To revisit it on its completion is on my bucket list.

[tunguska]

The information in this video is inaccurate. The temple is NOT built with public money but through donations and the sale of tickets to visit it, this is how Gaudí wanted it, and it's one of the reasons why its construction has taken so long as well as the fact that It was partially destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and in post-war times its construction was stopped due to lack of funds.

[sweetgeo]

I have seen it when I went on holiday with my family when I was little

[Navdeepsingh-zvnd]

I remember sitting in a cab, as I was lost in my thoughts of the beautiful evening I spent in Barcelona, it was nighttime time and the city was still bussing with tourists like me all around, just for a moment I looked out of the cab's window and saw the glimpse of "Basílica de la Sagrada Família", I couldn't believe at first that its a real thing or is it just my eyes deceiving me, the cab was close to the place where it is built so I couldn't see the top of the thing from inside, as I struggled to get a better view bowing my head down to see the top it became clear to me that's it's monstrously tall. To this day it haunts me how massive these things actually are.

[clarkabeast]

Wow 138 years they deserve a World Record because that’s the longest construction project in history.