TL;DR: The Sagrada Família will eventually have 18 towers representing specific figures in Catholic theology: 12 apostles, 4 evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ. As of 2025, 12 towers are complete. The tallest, dedicated to Jesus Christ, will reach 172.5 metres when finished, making it the tallest church in the world. You can currently ascend the Nativity or Passion towers (both around 107 metres) with a tower access ticket.
How Many Towers Does the Sagrada Família Have?
The completed Sagrada Família will have 18 towers in total, arranged in three groups of diminishing height, each group dedicated to a different tier of Catholic theology. This design was not improvised: Gaudí’s plans document each tower’s dedication, height, and symbolism explicitly. The tower system is the primary architectural expression of the building’s theological program.
As of 2025, 12 towers stand complete. Work is ongoing on the remaining 6, with the central tower of Jesus Christ expected to be the last completed element.
The Three Groups of Towers
Group 1: The Twelve Apostle Towers
The 12 outer towers, four per façade, are each dedicated to one of the twelve apostles (excluding Judas, with Matthias and Paul replacing him). These towers are the smallest of the three groups, at approximately 107 metres each.
Nativity Façade towers (northeast): Barnabas, Simon, Thaddaeus, Matthew
Passion Façade towers (northwest): Thomas, Philip, Bartholomew, James the Less
Glory Façade towers (south, planned): Andrew, Peter, James, John
The apostle towers are the ones you can climb with a tower access ticket. The lift takes you up to approximately 65 metres, and you descend by narrow spiral stairs. The four Nativity towers were the first completed (the final one in 1930), and the four Passion towers were finished in 1978.
Group 2: The Four Evangelist Towers
The four towers dedicated to the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) are taller than the apostle towers, at approximately 135 metres, and surround the central dome of the Virgin Mary.
These towers are topped with distinctive symbols: a winged man (Matthew), a winged lion (Mark), a winged ox (Luke), and an eagle (John). These symbols, known as the Tetramorph, appear in the Book of Ezekiel and Revelation and have been used in Christian iconography since the 4th century.
Construction on the evangelist towers is ongoing. As of 2025, partial construction is visible from the street and from inside the building.
Group 3: The Central Towers (Mary and Christ)
The Tower of the Virgin Mary (115 metres) is capped with a 12-pointed star and represents the Immaculate Conception. This tower, positioned above the apse (the curved eastern end of the nave), was completed in November 2021, a milestone that made international news because it made the Sagrada Família taller than the Montjuïc Castle for the first time in the building’s history.
The Tower of Jesus Christ (172.5 metres) is the central and tallest tower, positioned above the crossing (the intersection of the nave and transept). It will be capped with a large four-armed cross and is projected for completion in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. When complete, it will make the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world, surpassing the Ulm Minster in Germany (161.5 metres).
Why 172.5 Metres Specifically?
The height of the Jesus Christ tower is not arbitrary. Gaudí designed it to be one metre shorter than the highest point in Barcelona, the hill of Montjuïc (which reaches approximately 173 metres). His reasoning was theological: human creation should not surpass God’s creation (the natural landscape). So the building reaches for the sky but defers, by one metre, to the earth itself.
This is one of Gaudí’s most characteristic gestures: integrating the building into its context through deliberate mathematical relationships rather than treating the building as something that conquers its environment.
The Tower Architecture: What Makes Them Distinctive
All towers at the Sagrada Família share a common architectural language regardless of their dedication:
Parabolic form: Each tower tapers to a point using parabolic geometry rather than the Gothic pinnacles that were the conventional choice for medieval church towers. The parabola was Gaudí’s preferred structural curve: it carries compression loads with maximum efficiency, requiring less material for the same height.
Helical structure: The tower shafts spiral gently from base to tip, giving the towers a visual dynamism that straight shafts lack. The rotation also improves structural performance against wind loads.
Mosaic pinnacles: The upper sections of all towers are faced with glass and ceramic mosaic in gold, yellow, orange, and red (Nativity towers) or gold and green (Passion towers). The pinnacles include the inscription “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” (Holy, Holy, Holy) on the apostle towers and the symbols of the evangelists on the evangelist towers. These finials are designed to catch sunlight and be visible from a distance, serving as the visual identity of the building against the Barcelona skyline.
Bells: The apostle towers contain bells, both physical bells and a system of tubular bells. The eight bells in the Nativity towers are tuned to specific notes and were first rung for the building’s consecration by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
Climbing the Towers: What to Expect
Tower access is available via a separate ticket add-on to any basic entry. The experience for both the Nativity and Passion towers follows the same format:
- Queue at the tower lift entrance (separate from the main entry queue)
- Lift ascends to approximately 65 metres
- Walk along the bridge connecting the towers, with views through stone latticework
- Descend via narrow spiral stairs (approximately 400 steps)
What you see from the towers: The view from the Nativity towers (northeast) looks toward the sea, the Eixample grid, and on clear days, the Montjuïc hill and Tibidabo in the same frame. The Passion towers (northwest) look across the Eixample toward the sea to the north and the mountains behind the city.
The views are excellent but not panoramic in the sense of a conventional tower: the stone walls and windows frame specific views rather than offering a 360-degree unobstructed look. This is part of the experience rather than a limitation.
Practical notes: The stairs are narrow, with a central stone column. People with claustrophobia sometimes find the descent difficult. Bags larger than a day pack cannot be brought up. The experience takes 45 to 60 minutes from queuing to descent.
See our tower access tickets page for current prices and booking options. The tips guide has specific advice on when to visit to avoid the worst queue for the tower lift.
Current Construction Status (2025)
| Tower Group | Status |
|---|---|
| Nativity apostle towers (4) | Complete (1930) |
| Passion apostle towers (4) | Complete (1978) |
| Glory apostle towers (4) | Under construction |
| Evangelist towers (4) | Under construction |
| Virgin Mary tower | Complete (2021) |
| Jesus Christ tower | Under construction, projected 2026 |
The completion of the Jesus Christ tower in 2026 is the most anticipated construction milestone in the building’s history. The centenary of Gaudí’s death and the completion of the central tower in the same year would be a rare coincidence of symbolic significance.
For a full timeline of what’s been built and what remains, see our construction timeline and completion date pages.
Book Tower Access Tickets →
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tower should I climb: Nativity or Passion? Both are the same height (approximately 65 metres) and cost the same. The Nativity Tower is on the east side, with views toward the sea and the Barcelona grid. The Passion Tower is on the west side with views toward the mountains. Photographers generally prefer the Nativity Tower for its more ornate stone backdrop. For a first visit, either works; the views differ more in direction than in quality.
Can you see all 18 towers from one viewpoint? No single viewpoint shows all 18 towers clearly. The best angle to see the most towers simultaneously is from the south, looking north along the Avinguda de Gaudí or from Plaça de Catalunya. The park to the east (Plaça de la Sagrada Família) gives the clearest view of the Nativity Façade towers. Google Earth’s 3D model gives the best overview of the full tower plan.
How tall will the Sagrada Família be when complete? The Jesus Christ tower will reach 172.5 metres, making the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. Currently, the tallest completed element is the Virgin Mary tower at 115 metres.
Why was the Sagrada Família never finished in Gaudí’s lifetime? The project was always intended to take generations. Gaudí explicitly said it would require the faith of multiple generations and designed it accordingly, leaving documentation (partially destroyed in the 1936 Civil War) rather than assuming personal completion. He saw his role as setting the direction and standard, not as the sole builder.
Are the tower bells rung regularly? Yes. The Nativity towers contain a carillon of tubular bells and conventional bells that ring for services, Angelus prayers (three times daily), and major feasts of the Catholic liturgical calendar. Visitors in the courtyard during ringing times (approximately 8:00, 12:00, and 19:00) will hear the complete carillon.