Over 140 years after work began, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is nearing completion.

A milestone was reached in the last few days with the completion of four towers commemorating the authors of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The towers are each topped with sculptural pieces representing the four apostles - a man for Matthew, an eagle for John, an ox for Luke, and a lion for Mark.

The towers of Matthew and John were crowned with their sculptural pieces last week.

Now only one tower remains to be completed - the main central tower dedicated to Christ.

Work will now shift to this tower, which is also the tallest. It is due to be completed by 2026.

When this tower is finished, the masterpiece started in 1882 will finally be finished.

The completion date of 2026 coincides with the centenary of the death of the cathedral's architect, Antoni Gaudi.

He is buried in the crypt of the cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A celebratory mass has been planned for this month to celebrate the crowning of the four towers.