137 Years Later, Iconic Church Gets a Building Permit

Architect Antoni Gaudi broke ground on his iconic La Sagrada Familia basilica in 1882, and if he weren't long dead, he might be gratified to know that in the year of our lord 2019 he's finally got a building permit, reports CNN. Still unfinished after 137 years, the soaring Barcelona masterpiece was awarded a $5.2 million license by city council on Friday, after it was discovered in 2016 that such permission was never granted. CNN notes that Gaudi apparently did seek a permit back in 1885, but never heard back and just carried on. The church is now set to be completed at a cost of $424 million in 2026—100 years after Gaudi's death. Some 4.5 million people visit Sagrada Familia each year, and the money from the permit is designed to offset the impact of that. (More Barcelona stories.)