Cross lands in sky above Barcelona - Cross lands in sky above Barcelona

Today the upper arm of the cross was put in place on the tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família, a milestone that completes works on the exterior of this tower. In 2027 and 2028, works will continue inside the structure.

This piece is the highest point of the Temple, measures 4.5 metres by 4.5 metres by 4.9 metres, and completes the grouping of the six central towers of the Sagrada Família.

“Resting on the four extremely tall columns of the crossing, the great lantern will rise up, topped at 176 metres above the ground with a magnificent cross with four corrugated arms from which to look out over the surroundings. In the middle, the Lamb of God.”

Quart Àlbum del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, 1927-1929

The tower of Jesus Christ is the central tower of the Sagrada Família tower grouping. It is surrounded by the four towers of the Evangelists (each connected to the central tower by a bridge) and the tower of the Virgin Mary (which connects to the tower of Jesus Christ from the inside).  It has 12 faces and stands 172.5 metres tall, built with 12 levels of panels that started going in on 16 October 2018, from 85 metres off the ground.

The panels for the tower of Jesus Christ use a tensioned-stone building system, combining stone and steel. This system made it possible to build the panels off-site and then bring them to the Temple and put them in place by levels when they were finished. The final level was completed on 4 December 2024, reaching 142.5 metres.

The base of the tower pinnacle features inscriptions praising Jesus Christ“Tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus” (You alone are the Holy One, you alone the Lord, you alone the Most High) in white enamelled ceramic and brick, surrounded by palms. This element is 29 metres tall and construction began in May 2025.

The tower is topped with a three-dimensional four-armed cross, clad in glass and white enamelled ceramic. It is 17 metres tall and 13.5 metres wide. The first piece of the cross, the lower arm, was put in place on 27 October 2025, taking the tower to 162.91 metres.

Assembling the cross: key info

It was built in Germany in 2025 and assembled almost entirely at the Sagrada Família. The white enamelled ceramic tiles, stone interior and glass were made in factories and workshops in Catalonia.

The cross arrived from Germany in several modules that were pre-assembled on a work platform 54 metres above the central nave. These were taken up to be installed in seven pieces: the lower arm, the core, the four arms and the upper arm, which was put in place today, 20 February 2026.

Inside the upper arm there will be a sculpture of the Agnus Dei created by artist Andrea Mastrovito. The Lamb Gaudí envisioned for the centre of the cross will be placed on top of the upper arm, visible from inside the cross.

The culmination of the tower of Jesus Christ coincides with the hundredth anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, a historic milestone for the Sagrada Família and a tribute to its architect. There will be commemorative events held all year, the programming is available on https://sagradafamilia2026.org/

In the words of the Head Architect Jordi Faulí:

“Completion of the cross on the tower of Jesus Christ represents much more than the culmination of a phase of construction: it is the result of years of work and studying the legacy Antoni Gaudí left us. It is also a firm commitment to the future, to continue working to complete the Sagrada Família.”

For more information about the construction process of the cross, you can consult https://blog.sagradafamilia.org/