Pope Benedict XVI will consecrate the famed Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona this November in a visit to Spain. Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistach, archbishop of Barcelona announced on March 3 that the pope will also visit the shrine of Santiago de Compostela on his trip. The shrine in Santiago is believed to contain the remains of St. James the Greater. It has been a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years.
The pontiff will travel to Santiago de Compostela on November 6, on the occasion of the Compostela Holy Year, then move on to Barcelona on November 7. This will be Benedict XVI's second visit to Spain. His first visit was in July 2006 for the Fifth World Meeting of Families in Valencia. He is expected to return to the country in August 2011 for the celebration of World Youth Day.
The Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, is one of Barcelona's most popular tourist attractions. Construction on began in 1886 and is expected to continue at least until 2041, but it has already become Barcelona's most important landmark. Gaudi is famed for his idiosyncratic and organic forms found in the architecture of Sagrada Familia, as well as other landmarks in Barcelona.
For more information see: www.sagradafamilia.cat/














































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