Churches & Cathedrals in Spain

Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família is the world's most famous unfinished building and the most visited monument in Spain. Construction began in 1882 under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar; Gaudí took over in 1883 and devoted the last 43 years of his life to it. When Gaudí died in 1926, less than a quarter was complete. Building continues today using modern computer modelling of Gaudí's plaster scale models and drawings. When finished — expected around 2026 — it will have 18 towers: 12 for the Apostles, 4 for the Evangelists, one for the Virgin Mary, and the tallest central tower at 172.5 metres for Jesus Christ (just below the height of Montjuïc hill as Gaudí insisted no human work should exceed God's creation). Entry tickets must be booked in advance. The interior, completed in 2010, is extraordinary — a forest of branching columns and kaleidoscopic stained glass.

The largest Gothic cathedral in the world by area, Seville Cathedral was built on the site of a former mosque, incorporating its minaret (now the Giralda bell tower). It houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus and an immense gold-covered altarpiece.

The destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, believed to house the remains of the Apostle James. The Botafumeiro, an 80-kg censer swung across the transept, is one of the most dramatic liturgical spectacles.

According to tradition, this basilica stands on the site where the Virgin Mary appeared to the Apostle James in 40 CE — the first Marian apparition in history. Its eleven cupolas feature frescoes by Goya.

Known as the 'House of Light,' León Cathedral has the largest collection of medieval stained glass in Spain — 1,800 square meters of glass in 125 windows. These windows replace so much wall that the structure is amazingly transparent.

The crypt beneath the main Sagrada Familia basilica is the only part completed during Gaudí's lifetime. His tomb lies here, and the neo-Gothic crypt serves as the parish church for the local community.

Perched on Tibidabo mountain, 512 meters above Barcelona, this Romanesque-Gothic church is topped by a Sacred Heart statue with arms outstretched toward the city. The crypt is Romanesque in style while the upper church is neo-Gothic.

A massive Catholic basilica carved into a granite ridge with a 150-meter-tall cross visible for 30 km. The 263-meter-long nave is carved directly out of the mountain, making it one of the largest underground basilicas.

Barcelona's principal basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy, the city's patron saint. Every September, the Festes de la Mercè festival transforms the area with human towers, fire runs, and parades.