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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Stephen Burgen in Barcelona

‘A joyful day’: final piece of Sagrada Familia’s central tower put in place

A very tall crane lifting up the steel and glass cross piece
It took a few days before conditions were windless enough, but construction workers finally managed to winch up the remaining arm of the cross. Photograph: Lluís Gené/AFP/Getty Images

The final piece of the central tower of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia has been laid in place, bringing the church to its maximum final height 144 years after work began.

After several days when it has been too windy to work, the upper section of the 17 metre-high four-sided steel and glass cross was winched into position at 11am on Friday, completing the tower dedicated to Jesus Christ. At 172.5 metres, the Sagrada Familia, to which the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí devoted the later part of his life, is Barcelona’s tallest building and the world’s tallest church.

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