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La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished Catholic Basilica began in 1882, designed by the celebrated Art Nouveau architect Antoni Gaudi. |
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Since Gaudi's death in 1926, the plans have changed several times. |
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Construction was halted in 1935 with the Spanish Civil War, and began again in the late 1950s. |
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The current design is a combination of reconstructed versions of the lost plans with modern adaptations. |
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Vaults over the side aisles were added in 1995 and the roof over the nave was finished in early 2001. |
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So far 8 of the intended 18 towers have been built, each over 100 meters tall. |
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Using computers for the design and construction process since the 1980s has sped up the complicated process considerably. |
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Still, construction is not progressing much faster than it did under Gaudi. Estimated completion dates range from 2017 to 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. |
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On the road to Montserrat, located atop a rugged 4,000 mountain near Barcelona. |
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According to Catholic tradition, the statue of the Black Virgin of Montserrat was carved by St. Luke around 50 AD and brought to Spain. |
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The statue was later hidden from the Moors in a cave (Santa Cova, the Holy Grotto), where it was rediscovered in 880 AD. |
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By the 9th century, there were four chapels on Montserrat, of which only one remains. |
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n the 11th century, the monastery was founded on the mountain of Montserrat, next to one of the chapels. Many miracles were reported through the intercession of the Virgin Mary at Montserrat. |
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According to historians, it was then, in the 12th century, that the statue of the Madonna and Child was made. Known as La Moreneta the dark color of the Black Virgin is largely due o changes in the varnish with the passage of time. |
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St. Ignatius Loyola made a pilgrimage to Montserrat after being injured in war, and it was soon after that he wrote his famous Spiritual Exercises. |
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Due to the great numbers of pilgrims that flocked to Montserrat throughout the Middle Ages, the monastery was enlarged from its original humble size. In 1592, the grand basilica of Montserrat was consecrated. |
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In the late 18th century, almost the entire sanctuary was destroyed during the Napoleonic invasion. But due to the widespread devotion to the shrine, it was soon restored. |
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In 1881, Montserrat's Black Madonna was crowned in accordance with Canon Law and proclaimed patron saint of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII. |
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Today the monastery is home to about 80 monks, who welcome visitors and invite them to participate in their daily Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. |
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In 1996, 2.6 million visitors came to Montserrat. |
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An internet image of the venerated, miraculous statue of the Black Madonna (La Moreneta). |
