It took 137 years for the city of Barcelona to grant the much-awaited building permit to the Antoni Gaudi-designed Sagrada Familia, a step none too late perhaps. Though most certainly Gaudi would have liked to see his creation all done and ready, but I guess it's better late than never. Since 1882, when the first stone was laid, Sagrada Familia has had a very long construction history, probably the longest till date. Sagrada Familia is already an iconic structure, a UNESCO world heritage site now, it attracts millions of visitors every year and is one of the city's best preserved attractions. Though the permit will last till 2026, there is hope that the remainder of the construction work will get over by then. It's safe to say that the basilica is around 70 percent complete as of now and once the construction is all done, it will be the tallest church in the world. Something to look forward to. The year 2026 will also be the centenary of Antoni Gaudi's death.
Did you know that the admission fees paid by the millions of visitors till now has been funding the basilica's construction Sagrada Familia survived Spanish Civil War and fires which destroyed most of the original plans but nothing stopped the construction.
