# Barcelona's Sagrada Familia Finally Gets a Building Permit, 136 Years Late

> Here's how Barcelona's Sagrada Familia legalized its construction for 36 million euros, and why the permit arrived a staggering 136 years behind schedule.

- URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/sahrada-familiia-v-barseloni-lehalizuie-svoie-budivnytstvo-za-36-milioniv-ievro-zavershennia-ochikuietsia-do-2026-roku/
- Language: en
- Published: 2024-04-14
- Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Museums, Tours, Spain, Events

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After more than a century of building without a permit, Barcelona's magnificent Sagrada Familia has finally agreed to settle things with the city council.

Under the terms of this landmark deal, the church's trustees will be able to obtain the permits they need in exchange for payments totaling 36 million euros (41 million dollars) over the next decade.

The money will fund projects designed to ease the impact of the roughly 4.5 million people who visit the unfinished basilica every year.

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Barcelona mayor Ada Colau welcomed the impact of the agreement in a tweet.

"The Sagrada Familia is an icon and the most visited monument in our city," she wrote.

"After two years of dialogue, we have reached an agreement that guarantees payment for the license, secures access to the monument, and makes life easier for local residents thanks to improvements in public transport and the renovation of nearby streets."

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Of the total, 22 million euros will go toward upgrading the transport infrastructure that serves the church, and another 7 million euros will improve accessibility across the wider metro system of Spain's second largest city.

A further 4 million euros will fund the reconstruction of four major roads, while 3 million euros will be set aside to keep the area clean and safe.

The church tweeted about the improvements it expects to see in the organization of the surrounding area.

The work on the Sagrada Familia may have dragged on for an unusually long time, but, incredibly, the building still remains unfinished.

Construction of the neo-Gothic church began in 1882 under the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, though he soon stepped down.

He was replaced by Antoni Gaudi, the Catalan modernist whose distinctive work can be found all over Barcelona. Gaudi devoted his life to building the Sagrada Familia, right up until he died in 1926 after being struck by a tram.

Since then, a succession of architects has worked to complete the church in keeping with Gaudi's original design, and the project is scheduled to finish in 2026, marking 100 years since his death.