Sagrada Familia construction begins,

The first stone was laid on March 19, 1882, the day of San Jose with the presence of the then bishop of Barcelona Jose Maria Urquinaona. Gaudi attended the ceremony because he had worked as an assistant on several projects for the architect Villar and no one knew he would become the architect of that work.

The work did not commence until August 25 of 1883 after the tender was awarded to the contractor Planella Macari Roura i.

Project Architect in the Neo Gothic style was Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano.

In 1883, Villar resigned due to disagreements with Joan Martorell the architect consultant to Bocabella. The project was then offered to Martorell who declined but who recommended the 31 year old Gaudi an assistant on several of the buildings by Martorell.

Gaudi took charge of the project and modified it entirely except for the parts already built. His unique style and the enormity of the work over the next 43 years of his life and the shear dedication to the project saw him literally designing as the building progressed and his presence on the site to ensure compliance was of great importance.

During the life of Gaudi he managed to complete the facade of the Nativity, with sculpture by Carles Mani, and Joan Llorenc Matamala Matamala and drawings by Ricard Opisso. Only one of the towers was crowned before Gaudi died and his assistant Domenec Sugranes from 1926-1936 took over and managed to finish the three remaining towers on the facade of the Nativity.

During the Spanish Civil War a portion of Gaudi studio was destroyed damaging plans and the Maquette and models. And so Gaudi left no plans or guidelines about how the temple should be completed. So when in 1944 construction resumed on the Sagrada Familia a meeting was held on how to proceed with the building and be faithful to Gaudi and his ideas.

Appointed to this gigantic task were the architects Francesc Quintana, Isidre Puig i Boada and Lluis Bonet i Gari, while the sculptural work was commissioned to Jaume Busquets. Later, when he built the facade of the Passion and the main body of sculptural figures he was commissioned to Josep Maria Subirachs. The works of the latter have caused some controversy because it has totally contemporary sculptures away from the realistic style that Gaudi included in the facade of the Nativity.

Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo collaborated on sculptures of the facade of the Nativity. Since 1987 works continued under the direction of Jordi Bonet i Armengol.
Gaudi explained the works of the Sagrada Familia to the Vatican nuncio, Francesco Ragonesi in 1915 and on that occasion the Bishop Ragonesi described the Gaudi work as the “Dante of architecture.”

One point that has aroused more controversy surrounding the Sagrada Familia is its location in the urban fabric of Barcelona when the site was cleared but the site was soon integrated into the rapid development occurring in the city early in the twentieth century.