The Basílica de la Sagrada Família (Sagrada Família for short) is an architectural masterpiece, functional church, and popular tourist attraction located in Barcelona. In 2005 it was even made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, demonstrating its significance as a design. Yet perhaps the most interesting thing about the Sagrada Família is the fact that it hasn’t even been completed yet!

Indeed, the Sagrada Família has been a work in progress for over a hundred years. Construction began in 1882, based on the plans of Francisco de Paula del Villar. Only a year later, Paula del Villar resigned and Antoni Gaudí took over the project. Gaudí is the one who would go down in history as the creator of the church.

Gaudí worked on the church until his death in 1926. Construction continued, but was disrupted during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. Even more than disrupted, the Sagrada Família was vandalized. Components of the building were destroyed, and the original Gaudí plans were burned.

After the war, the Sagrada Família project resumed. Efforts have continued to this day to complete the church, although it still remains unfinished today. Yet, it has received recognition for its grand presence and story, as well as for its beautiful design.

The Sagrada Família is impressive, complex, and has an even more vivid history than summarized above. It is truly a worthy site to visit and to learn more about.

Image courtesy of the Sagrada Família official website’s photo gallery.

Sources Used
Art in Context. “Sagrada Família in Barcelona – Gaudí’s Unfinished Masterpiece.” Last modified September 12, 2023. https://artincontext.org/sagrada-familia-in-barcelona/.
Sagrada Família. “History of the Temple.” https://sagradafamilia.org/en/history-of-the-temple/.

Image courtesy of Britannica.

A Comunidad Autónoma (Autonomous Community)
Regional affiliation in Spain is not just a matter of identity, it’s also a matter of government. The autonomous communities of Spain have the right to self-government (manifest as unique, local/regional government bodies), and as a whole possess their own culture, foods, and languages. These autonomous communities have had to fight for recognition of their individual importance multiple times in history, even before the concept of ‘Spain’ existed.

Catalonia, for instance, has had fluctuating autonomy ever since the time that Rome controlled the Iberian Peninsula. The most notable instance of regional suppression came in the 1900s with the dictatorship of Franco. The fascist government suppressed regional identity and nationalized governmental control. It wasn’t until 1979, several years after Franco died, that regional power was restored to Catalonia.

Other regions regained access to the same freedoms around this time as well. Catalan has retained its right to self-governance and cultural identity ever since.

The Languages of Barcelona
Usage of Catalan has suffered in recent years, but this decline certainly does not mean the language is irrelevant. Far from it — it indicates a necessity for appreciation and preservation.

When visiting Barcelona, don’t just practice Spanish to keep up with the locals! Consider looking into common Catalan phrases, too. Immerse yourself in Spain’s culture and Catalonia’s culture; they fought well to ensure their culture is still seen today.

Sources Used
Anthony, Dani. “Top Ten Origins: Catalonia (Catalunya) and Spain.” Ohio State University. Last modified December, 2017. https://origins.osu.edu/connecting-history/top-ten-origins-catalonia-catalunya-and-spain.
Britannica. “Catalonia.” Last modified March 17, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/place/Catalonia.
Nationalia. “Less than a third of Catalonia’s population has Catalan as their most frequenty [sic] used language.” Last modified February 19, 2025. https://www.nationalia.info/brief/11666/less-than-a-third-of-catalonias-population-has-catalan-as-their-most-frequenty-used-langua.