Sagrada Familia cathedral gets building licence 130 years after work began

FILE PHOTO: Towers frame construction cranes are seen as work continues on the Basilica Sagrada Familia, which was designed by Antoni Gaudi, November 20, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. REUTERS/John Schults/File Photo

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - More than 130 years after construction first began, Barcelona's towering Sagrada Familia cathedral is finally to get a building permit, the city council and the monument's official blog said.

Cranes and scaffolding still flank the ornate spires of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi's most famous monument, which draws some 20 million visitors a year. Stained-glass windows had to be installed at the last minute before a papal visit in 2010.