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Mistaken for a homeless man
A life given to the church
Gaudí was 73. At 62 he had moved into the unfinished Sagrada Família, and the work swallowed his life. He neglected his appearance until he was a disheveled recluse, spent his days praying and overseeing construction, and stopped making conventional drawings. He built three-dimensional plaster models instead, meant as the ultimate guide for future generations.
The tram accident
On June 7, 1926, the tram hit him on the way to confession. Nobody recognized the ragged man as the famous and beloved architect, and he was left to die in the street. Hours later he reached a hospital and received only basic care. By the time someone finally recognized him, nothing more could be done, and he died on June 10.
The funeral
Barcelona turned out in huge numbers for the funeral, which shut down the city's streets. Residents marched his coffin to its resting place in the crypt of the Sagrada Família.
Why is Gaudí being considered for sainthood?
Gaudí was a deeply devout Catholic whose last years centered on prayer and the building site. Church authorities in Barcelona opened a cause for his sainthood. In April 2025, Pope Francis declared him Venerable, the stage that follows Servant of God.
Why did Gaudí work from plaster models?
His forms, such as hyperboloids and helicoids, are hard to show in flat plans and sections. A physical model can be turned and viewed from any angle, and plaster casts of its parts could be handed to the stonemasons as full-size guides. Gaudí's workshop was part of the building complex itself, which kept the models close at hand for the builders.
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