Sagrada Familia will receive a building permit after more than 130 years

The agreement, which Mayor Ada Colau described as historic, stipulates that the foundation managing the cathedral will pay the city €36 million (approximately 936 million crowns) over ten years for public transport and improvements to the area around the cathedral. Of this, €7 million will go towards a study for the construction of a direct exit from the metro to the interior of the temple. The city's contribution was calculated based on the number of visitors to this monument, which is around 4.5 million annually, or about 12,000 people daily.

However, the agreement does not address the most pressing issue of construction, which is the main façade (Fachada de la Gloria), which is to be oriented south onto Carrer de Mallorca and for which, according to Spanish media, part of the buildings that include apartments would need to be demolished.

This unique architectural work, which depicts the life of Jesus Christ and biblical history, began construction in 1882 based on a design by architect Francisko de Paula del Villar. At the end of 1883, architect Antonio Gaudí took over the work.

The only document allowing the construction of the cathedral so far dates back to the end of the 19th century and was issued by the municipality of Sant Martí de Provençals, which was annexed to Barcelona in 1897. However, this document cannot be compared to a classic building permit, noted the website eldiario.es.

Sagrada Familia is expected to be completed in 2026, which coincides with the centenary of Antonio Gaudí's death. This Catalan architect, who is also the author of several other unique buildings in Barcelona, dedicated the last several years of his life entirely to the construction of the Sagrada Familia temple. At that time, he stopped caring about his appearance, so when he was hit by a tram in June 1926, he was initially thought to be a beggar.

After Gaudí's death, construction continued according to his designs. However, during the civil war (1936-1939), part of the construction was destroyed by fire and Gaudí's plans and models were also lost. These were later restored by architect Francesc de Paula Quintana, a former collaborator of Gaudí. Gaudí had little illusion about the completion of the grand cathedral. "It will only be finished by Saint Joseph," he used to say.