Barcelona has been shining a little brighter since last night. Pope Leo XIV officially inaugurated and blessed the Jesus Christ Tower at the Sagrada Familia in a ceremony attended by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain. The event culminated with the switching on of the artistic illumination of the cross crowning the tower, developed by the Endesa Foundation.
This marks the third major intervention by the Endesa Foundation at the basilica, capping off 20 years of iconic lighting projects following the Passion Façade (2007) and the star atop the Virgin Mary Tower (2021).
The newly unveiled project features a highly efficient LED artistic lighting system. Compared with conventional lighting, it will reduce energy consumption by 38% and prevent approximately 845 kg of CO₂ emissions per year.
The Endesa Foundation is committed to contributing to a just and sustainable energy transition. To date, it has completed more than 700 historical and artistic heritage lighting projects across Spain, all designed to maximise energy efficiency and minimise environmental impact. Of these, 82 have been carried out in Catalonia, including 24 in Barcelona.
Last night marked one of the most significant milestones in the recent history of the Sagrada Familia. The blessing and inauguration of the Jesus Christ Tower by Pope Leo XIV completed one of the major construction phases of Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece. This historic moment was accompanied by the artistic illumination of the cross crowning the tower, developed by the Endesa Foundation, whose beams of light now project into the Barcelona night sky. This latest installation joins the illumination of the star atop the Virgin Mary Tower, completed in 2021, further reinforcing its profound spiritual symbolism and its commanding presence on the city's skyline.
The blessing and inauguration ceremony for the new tower and its cross was attended by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia Salvador Illa, Cardinal and Archbishop of Barcelona Juan José Omella, Chairman of Endesa and the Endesa Foundation Juan Sánchez-Calero, Endesa Chief Executive Officer Gianni Vittorio Armani, General Manager of the Endesa Foundation María Malaxechevarría, Endesa's Territorial Director for Catalonia Enric Brazís, as well as representatives of the Church, the Sagrada Familia Construction Board, and various public and private institutions.
Endesa Foundation and the Sagrada Familia: 20 years of light
The ceremony, which coincided with the centenary of Gaudí's death, concluded with the lighting of the cross crowning the Jesus Christ Tower. Standing at 172.5 metres tall, it officially makes the Sagrada Familia the tallest basilica in the world. This lighting intervention, developed by the Endesa Foundation, highlights one of the architectural complex's most important elements and marks the beginning of the final phase in the construction of one of the most iconic architectural projects in contemporary history.
With this third major intervention, which began nearly 20 years ago in 2007 with the illumination of the Passion Façade, the Endesa Foundation reinforces a partnership spanning more than two decades with Gaudí's basilica, supporting some of the most significant milestones in its construction.
The lighting design was conceived to respect Gaudí's vision while enhancing the symbolic value of the monument, where light becomes an essential element of both spiritual and architectural expression. The project incorporates an artistic lighting system comprising 24 beams of light distributed across the arms of the cross, the internal staircase, and the Agnus Dei hyperboloid (a feature conceived in Antoni Gaudí's original design and developed by Italian artist Andrea Mastrovito, representing a work of outstanding artistic significance), creating a lighting composition designed to strengthen the tower's presence within Barcelona's urban landscape. The interior lighting intervention was carried out using LED projectors and luminaires seamlessly integrated into the structure, enhancing the architectural features while emphasising the symbolic dimension of the monument.
In line with the Foundation's commitment to a just and sustainable energy transition, the highly efficient LED technology will deliver an estimated 38% reduction in energy consumption, preventing approximately 845 kg of CO₂ emissions each year. This represents significantly lower electricity consumption than conventional lighting systems, such as discharge lamps, halogen projectors or traditional fluorescent lighting, would require to achieve the same level of illumination.
Since its creation, the Endesa Foundation has supported lighting projects aimed at preserving, maintaining and enhancing Spain's historical and artistic heritage. In Catalonia alone, it has completed more than 80 projects, including 24 in the city of Barcelona, helping to showcase some of the region's most important landmarks. Notable interventions include the interior lighting of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Mataró in 2014, the skylight of the Palau de la Música Catalana in 2024, and, most recently, the exterior illumination of Montserrat Abbey, inaugurated in October 2025.
With more than 700 lighting projects completed across Spain, the Endesa Foundation reaffirms its commitment to preserving cultural heritage and enhancing its value through the artistic application of light, guided by principles of respect for heritage, technological innovation and energy efficiency—the latter two being key drivers of the energy transition. These interventions reduce energy consumption and emissions without altering the historical or artistic integrity of monuments, while bringing cultural heritage closer to society and ensuring that both present and future generations can enjoy it under more sustainable conditions.
About Endesa Foundation
Endesa Foundation was established in 1998 as an expression of Endesa's social commitment to responding to the needs of the communities in which it operates and working towards social progress.
Its purpose is to support a just and sustainable energy transition, improving the lives of people and the environment around them. To this end, the Endesa Foundation develops projects that promote high-quality education aligned with today's challenges by encouraging STEM vocations and providing training in the energy transition. It also offers training and employment opportunities for the most vulnerable in the green sectors of the economy, promotes Spain's culture and artistic heritage, and contributes to a more sustainable world by protecting biodiversity and the ecosystems in which it thrives.
More information at: www.fundacionendesa.org