Barcelona's Sagrada Familia reaches maximum height as cross is placed on Tower of Jesus Christ

Barcelona's soaring Sagrada Familia basilica reached its maximum height on Friday, as a crane placed the upper arm of a cross atop the Tower of Jesus Christ.

The unfinished monument is already the world's tallest church, though Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi's magnum opus remains years away from completion.

The church's central piece now towers 566ft above the city, the church said.

Topping the central tower has been a priority ahead of celebrations this June, marking the centenary of Gaudi's death.

The scaffolding surrounding the central tower is expected to be removed by June, in time for the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ, the church said.

The first stone of the Sagrada Familia was placed in 1882, but Gaudi never expected it to be finished in his lifetime.

Only one of its multiple towers was completed when he died in 1926 at the age of 73, after being struck by a tram.

In recent decades, more work was carried out on the basilica as it became a major international tourist attraction.

The inside of the Tower of Jesus Christ is still being worked on, and its exterior is flanked by scaffolding and construction cranes.

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In line with Gaudi's plans, the cross has four arms so its shape can be recognised from any direction, said Sagrada Familia's rector, the Rev Josep Turull.

If Barcelona's city government allow it, the original plan also includes a light beam shining from each of the cross's arms, signifying the church's role as a spiritual lighthouse, he added.

Millions of tourists visit the Sagrada Familia every year, enthralled by Gaudi's radical aesthetic, combining Catholic symbolism and organic forms, with entrance fees largely funding the ongoing construction.

This year, the Sagrada Familia will hold several events to celebrate the Catalan Modernist's legacy, which includes other beautiful buildings in Barcelona and elsewhere in Spain.

The Sagrada Familia became the world's tallest church last October, when it rose above the spire of Germany's Ulmer Munster, a Gothic Lutheran church built over 500 years starting in 1377, which stands at 530ft.

A prayer verse from the Gloria that Catholics recite at mass is at the base of the cross installed on Friday at Sagrada Familia, the church's rector said.

It reads: "You alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High."