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Tallest church in the world
172.5 m
565.9 ft
- Record holder
- Sagrada Família
✓ Value cross-checked in a second source
How the record evolved
The last record set in each decade, up to the current record (highlighted).
| Year | Record | Holder |
|---|---|---|
| current | 172.5 m | Sagrada Família |
| 161.5 m | Ulm Minster | |
| 157.4 m | Cologne Cathedral | |
| 151.0 m | St. Mary's Church |
Put them in order
Sort these records from the oldest to the most recent.
- 151.0 mSt. Mary's Church
- 172.5 mSagrada Família
- 161.5 mUlm Minster
- 157.4 mCologne Cathedral
What to remember
On 30 October 2025, the central tower of the Sagrada Família reached 162.91 m and passed Ulm Minster (161.53 m), until then the tallest completed church building. On 20 February 2026, the tower reached its final height of 172.5 m.
Construction of the Barcelona basilica began on 19 March 1882 under the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Antoni Gaudí took over in 1883 and transformed the project, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church on 7 November 2010 and proclaimed it a basilica. Since 2005, the Nativity façade and the crypt have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From the Middle Ages until the skyscraper, church buildings were often the world's tallest buildings. Before it, the title passed through St. Mary's Church at 151.0 m in 1647, Cologne Cathedral at 157.4 m in 1880 and Ulm Minster at 161.5 m in 1890.
Related records
Sources and licences
- Value, holder and date: Wikipedia article “List of tallest church buildings” (revision used 1376361099). Data from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo: Canaan, Photo licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
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