Sagrada Familia

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (“Expiatory Church of the Holy Family”), is a massive, privately-funded Roman Catholic church that has been under construction in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain since 1882 and is not expected to be complete until at least 2026. Considered the master-work of renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). He spent the last few years of his life living in the crypt of the “Sagrada Familia”. On 7 June 1926 Gaudí was hit by a tram. Because of his ragged attire and empty pockets, many cab drivers refused to pick him up for fear that he would be unable to pay the fare. He was eventually taken to a paupers’ hospital in Barcelona. Nobody recognized the injured artist until his friends found him the next day. When they tried to move him into a nicer hospital, Gaudí refused, reportedly saying “I belong here among the poor.” He died three days later on 10 June 1926, at age 73, with half of Barcelona mourning his death. He was buried in the midst of La Sagrada Família.