Barcelona residents are celebrating the completion of the iconic Sagrada Familia's four towers, a milestone seen as a step towards full completion in 2026.

Work on the world-renowned tourist attraction began in 1882 after the famous architect Antoni Gaudí designed it. He devoted the latter part of his life to building the church and is buried in its crypt.

A celebratory mass is due to be held in the minor basilica to commemorate this major achievement.

Each of the four towers represents one of the four gospel writers, and the final sculptural pieces have now been set in place: Matthew is an angel, John is an eagle, while Mark and Luke are represented as a lion and an ox. Each of them weighs between six and nine tonnes.

The primary emphasis for completing the rest of the church now centres on the tallest and final tower dedicated to Jesus, which will make the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world at 172.5 metres.

Antoni Gaudí left neither plans nor instructions for the main façade, which he named Glory, so the decision has been entrusted to a theological commission, which is studying the Sagrada Familia archive.

The project is scheduled to conclude in 2026, marking the 100th anniversary of the artist's death.