Sagrada Familia Cathedral

In the middle of the 19th century, José María Bocabella, president of the Holy Brotherhood, planned to build a church in Barcelona and dedicated it to the Holy Family "Sagrada Familia". He chose a property within the street grid in the former "Poblet" (small village), in today's Eixample district.

A property closer to the city center was not possible due to the already high land prices.

Initially, the diocese architect Francisco del Villar planned the church. He designed a church in the Gothic style and the work according to these plans began in 1882 with the construction of the crypt. Due to fundamental disagreements with Bocabella, however, he had to vacate the order. A few months later, in 1883, the young architect Antoni Gaudí took his place and found his life's work in it. Until his death on June 10, 1926, he worked on the Sagrada Familia.

Under Gaudí, the church became so important because of its expansive dimension and lush design that it soon became known as "the cathedral". Even Gaudí himself called the church "the cathedral", although it didn't host a bishop's seat. Gaudí was convinced that the city would someday be known for "his" church.