Barcelona’s Cathedral Gets Building Permit 130 Years Later

Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, is finally getting a building permit, more than 130 years after work on the structure began.

City officials announced the permit agreement earlier this month. It ended a long argument over the legality of the continuing work on the cathedral. Under the agreement, the cathedral will pay city officials 36 million euros. The money will be used to help pay for improvements to city streets and Barcelona’s public transportation system.

Building equipment has long surrounded the tall spires² of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi’s most famous building.

The building of Sagrada Familia began in 1882. It is set to be completed by 2026, 100 years after Gaudi’s death. He was struck by a vehicle in Barcelona in 1926. He lay on the street in pain for hours. By the time he arrived at a hospital, it was too late.

At the time of his death, workers had completed only about 25 percent of the cathedral.

Progress has been slow in the years since. Work was stopped during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. Many of Gaudi’s original plans were lost. Building began again in the 1950s.

Gaudi’s design for Sagrada Familia includes modernist, Art Nouveau and traditional Gothic elements. It also includes 18 towers. Eight of them have been built.

Barcelona residents have long argued about Sagrada Familia. Many do not like Gaudi’s design. Others believe it is too costly³ to complete.

But art critics admire it greatly.

Art critic Rainier Zerbst said, “It is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art.”

Famous architecture critic Paul Goldenberger said Sagrada Familia was the best “interpretation⁴ of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages.”

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI declared Sagrada Familia a basilica, an honor that only the pope can give.

I’m Caty Weaver⁵.

Words in This Story

cathedral – n. the main church of an area that is headed by a bishop⁶

architect – n. a person who designs buildings

spire¹ – n. a tall, narrow, pointed⁷ structure on the top of a building

basilica – n. a large church that has a long central part that ends in a curved wall

interpretation – n. the act or result of explaining or interpreting something

church – n. a building that is used for Christian religious services

1 spire   

n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点

参考例句：

• The church spire was struck by lightning.教堂的尖顶遭到了雷击。
• They could just make out the spire of the church in the distance.他们只能辨认出远处教堂的尖塔。

2 spires   

n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• White church spires lift above green valleys. 教堂的白色尖顶耸立在绿色山谷中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

5 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

6 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。