Sagrada Familia reaches its peak with completion of its soaring central tower

Barcelonas towering Sagrada Familia basilica reached its maximum height on Friday though the magnum opus of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi remains years away from completionA crane placed the upper arm of a cross atop the Tower of Jesus Christ the churchs soaring central piece which now stands 1725 metres 566 feet above the city the church saidWhile the unfinished monument is already the worlds tallest church with Fridays addition the Sagrada Familia inched closer to being doneThe first stone of the Sagrada Familia was placed in 1882 but Gaudi never expected it to be completed in his lifetime Only one of its multiple towers was finished when he died at the age of 73 in 1926 after being hit by a tramIn recent decades work has sped up as the basilica became a major international tourist attraction with people around the world visiting Barcelona to see the monument enthralled by Gaudis radical aesthetic that combines Catholic symbolism and organic formsThe inside of the Tower of Jesus Christ is still being worked on and its exterior is flanked by construction cranes and scaffolding But topping the central tower which soars above the transept has been a priority ahead of celebrations this June that will mark the centenary of Gaudis deathThe scaffolding surrounding the central tower is expected to be removed by June in time for the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ the church saidAs Gaudi had planned the cross has four arms so its shape can be recognised from any direction said Sagrada Familias rector the Rev Josep Turull If Barcelonas city government will allow it the original plan also includes a light beam shining from each of the crosss arms symbolising the churchs role as a spiritual lighthouse he addedMillions of tourists visit the Sagrada Familia every year and entrance fees largely fund the ongoing constructionThis year the Sagrada Familia will hold several events to celebrate the Catalan Modernists legacy which includes other stunning buildings in Barcelona and elsewhere in SpainThe Sagrada Familia became the worlds largest church last October when it rose above the spire of Germanys Ulmer Munster a Gothic Lutheran church built over 347 years starting in 1543 That church tops out at 16153 metres 530 feetA prayer verse from the Gloria that Catholics recite at mass is installed at the base of the cross installed Friday afternoon at Sagrada Familia the churchs rector saidIt reads You alone are the Holy One you alone are the Lord you alone are the Most HighThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever