The Unfinished Church in Barcelona
The answer is because this has to be one of the most famous churches in the world, and certainly in Spain. The church is called the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, to give it its full name, and it can be found in Barcelona. It is small wonder then that it is more commonly known as the Sagrada Familia. It is certainly easier to remember and say.Why is this church unfinished? Has it run into problems along the way during the construction process?
This is certainly an interesting story and it is quite something to realise that its architect and creator, the famous Antoni Gaudi, died way back in 1926. This should give you something of an idea of how long this church has been in the process of being built.
The construction process actually started a long time before Gaudi"s death, in 1882. So it has been underway for well over 120 years. According to the latest estimates it should be finished sometime around the year 2026. Even that end date is not certain, so we could see it continuing to be built long after that date as well.
When you see the church you will begin to gain some idea of why it is taking such a long time to finish. The design is inherently Gaudi тЂ“ complex, dramatic and eye catching. Since the construction process is such a long one тЂ“ apparently it was always going to take a long time to complete тЂ“ it has acquired new designers and architects at various points along the way. As you might expect this has led to changes and alterations in many respects. The church that is currently being built differs in many ways from the original plans.
The history of the construction process is arguably just as much of a reason to visit the church as anything else. Even though you will only be viewing a construction site at the moment (and could well be for another couple of decades) there is no doubt that the Sagrada Familia is one of the hotspots for attracting countless tourists in Barcelona.
Perhaps the best time to view it is at night, because then it is lit up and it looks even more spectacular. The lights pick out all the details of the design тЂ“ and there are plenty of details to see.
If you are going to Barcelona in the near future, book your Barcelona flights and then look forward to seeing a church that is over a century in the making. It will almost be a shame when this incredible building project finally comes to an end.