Maria Garganté: Sagrada Família is the world's most iconic monument under construction

The expert explores Antoni Gaudí's multidimensional legacy and his deep connection to Catalan culture and spirituality.

Generic image of the Sagrada Família towers in Barcelona.
IA

Generic image of the Sagrada Família towers in Barcelona.

Professor Maria Garganté, a member of the Sagrada Família artistic commission, highlights Antoni Gaudí as a global icon whose work defines the architectural identity of Barcelona.

During a symposium at the Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià, scholars examined Gaudí's complex personality. Garganté, who teaches at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, emphasized that the architect's spiritual dimension is essential to understanding his work, which often escapes simple categorization.

"A Sagrada Família as Gaudí conceived it could only have been built in Catalonia."

Maria Garganté · Professor and Sagrada Família advisor
The historian noted that Gaudí's commitment to the Sagrada Família intensified after the social unrest of 1911. Today, the monument stands as a living testament to his genius, blending Modernisme with Noucentisme and maintaining a profound international impact that rivals other great Catalan artists like Dalí or Miró.