Sagrada Familia Bacelona
The Sagrada Familia, or Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, is Barcelona's most famous monument and tourist attraction. Its intricate towers are a recognizable part of the city's skyline, and this cathedral is visited by over 1.5 million people every year.

The church was originally to be a neo-gothic sanctuary, but after arguments between the founding association and the designer, famous Barcelonian architect Antoni Gaudi was awarded the project. Construction on the cathedral began in 1884, and Gaudi continued to devote his life to it until his death.

Within the first forty years of construction much of the main structure was built, including the crypt, the east facade, and the Saint Joseph Chapel. Originally the cathedral was to have square towers, but Gaudi changed this in 1898 to have round towers instead. Gaudi died in 1926 before the towers were completed: they were supposed to be three times higher. He was buried in the Crypt of the Sagrada Familia.

Parts of the unfinished building, as well as Gaudi's workplace and models, were destroyed during the Spanish Civil war. Work on the building has been sporadic and slow ever since, mostly because the church construction is funded entirely by donation. The west facade was only finished in 1986 (103 years after construction began!), and the 175-meter Jesus tower is in the works for the near future: if this in fact is completed, it could be one of the highest church towers in the world.