IT’S taken more than 140 years, countless cranes and a mountain of scaffolding – but Barcelona’s world-famous Sagrada Familia is about to hit the heights. The Tower of Jesus Christ, the centrepiece of the design, will rise a staggering 172 metres into the Catalan sky, eclipsing Germany’s Ulm Minster by 10 metres. The milestone comes with poignant timing: 2026 marks 100 years since Gaudí’s tragic death, after he was run over by a tram. To honour his legacy, the basilica will host a grand centenary celebration on June 10 – and Pope Leo XIV has been invited to lead a solemn mass. Since then, donations and ticket sales from millions of tourists – 4.9 million last year alone – have kept construction going.