Barcelona's Sagrada Familia lights up its new towers

The final two of the four Towers of the Evangelists, 135 metres (443 feet) high and dedicated to Matthew and John, were finished in September with the addition of figures representing a human bust and an eagle.

The other two, dedicated to Luke and Mark and crowned by cow and lion sculptures, were completed last year.

Archbishop of Barcelona Juan José Omella blessed the structures in the basilica on Sunday before the light show kicked off.

The pinnacle of the Sagrada Familia basilica's tower of Matthew is lit up for the first time along with the other three Evangelists towers, following a blessing ceremony. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

The towers will be the basilica's third highest once the site is completed. Only the Tower of Jesus Christ, designed by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí to be the building's summit, remains unfinished.

The developers expect to finish the tower in 2026, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.

The final two of the four Towers of the Evangelists, 135 metres (443 feet) high and dedicated to Matthew and John, were finished in September with the addition of figures representing a human bust and an eagle.  (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

The basilica's construction committee initially set a 2026 target to complete the entire basilica, but the Covid-19 pandemic set back the project.

The Sagrada Familia "will be finished in 10 years maximum" barring major problems, the head of the committee's board, Esteve Camps, told local newspaper La Vanguardia on Sunday.