AI-Summary – News For Tomorrow
Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica has become the world’s tallest church, surpassing Germany’s Ulm Minster, with the installation of part of its central tower, reaching a height of 162.91 meters (534ft 8in). While not officially claiming the title, the basilica is now taller than the German church. The central Tower of Jesus Christ will eventually reach 172 meters upon completion. Construction has accelerated due to increased tourism, funded by entrance fees from 4.9 million visitors last year. The Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece, blends Catholic symbolism with organic forms.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica became the world’s tallest church on Thursday after a part of its central tower was lifted into place.
The masterwork of the architect Antoni Gaudí now rises to 162.91 metres (534ft 8in) above the city, the church said in a statement. That beats the spire of Ulm Minster in Germany, which tops out at 161.53 metres.
The Sagrada Familia has not formally laid claim to the title but the numbers are there to compare: it is now 1.38 metres (4ft 6in) taller than the church in Baden-Württemberg.
And it is still growing. The central Tower of Jesus Christ that is rising from the top of the church will reach to 172 metres when it is completed in the coming months.
A crane placed the first part of the tower on top of the nave on Thursday morning.
Work has sped up over recent decades as the basilica became a major international tourist attraction with people around the world enthralled by Gaudí’s unique aesthetic that combines Catholic symbolism and organic forms.
The money from entrance fees is used to fund the construction. Last year, 4.9 million people paid to visit.
