Crossroads Roundup: Sainthood for Antoni Gaudí, Iron Age Necropolis in the UAE, and Gorgeous Pompeii Statues
The latest news in art, archaeology, culture, and more.
Saint Gaudí?
The big news in Catholicism this week was, of course, the passing of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. But since the last Roundup, another story from the Church caught my eye: Antoni Gaudí, the renowned Spanish architect and the mind behind the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, may achieve sainthood.
On April 14th, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints issued a decree recognizing Gaudí’s “heroic virtues,” a major step toward canonization. Gaudí is often known as “God’s architect” for the role that faith played in his designs. He took over the design and construction of the Sagrada Familia in 1883, and the church remained unfinished by his death in 1926. In fact, the church is still under construction today—with an estimated completion date of 2026, 100 years after Gaudí’s passing.
Having visited the Sagrada Familia, I can see why an artist like Gaudí receives such reverence. In the wor…