2026 marks a century since the death of the visionary Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. He died after being hit by a tram in central Barcelona in June 1926, not far from the Sagrada Famìlia, his towering basilica that – despite still being under construction today – dominates the city’s skyline, and recently became the world’s tallest church.
Next year, 2027, will mark the 10 year anniversary of another tragedy. On August 17, 2017, terrorists pledging their allegiance to the Islamic State rammed a vehicle along the pedestrian boulevard of Las Ramblas, one of Barcelona’s main thoroughfares, killing 14 people. They were motivated, at least in part, by a desire to restore Muslim rule over Spain.
