Portrait of Antoni Gaudí from 1878 Pablo Audouard Deglaire/Reproduction It was early evening in Barcelona when a man in rumpled clothes crossed Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes distractedly, leaning on his cane, and was surprised by a tram coming towards him. He tried to avoid it, without seeing that another tram was approaching in the opposite direction. The old man was hit squarely and fell unconscious in the middle of the avenue. The scene attracted several onlookers, but, due to his appearance, he was considered homeless, and most passers-by didn't bother to help him. ✅ Click here to follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp That man was the architect Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (1852-1926). This Wednesday (10), the hundredth anniversary of his death, Pope Leo XIV celebrates a mass inside his most famous work, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, in the Catalan capital. Church of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona inaugurates Tower of Jesus Christ Only two people were willing to try to help Gaudí. Four times, they tried to get a taxi to stop and take the injured old man to the hospital — four times, the drivers refused. Finally, after a long wait, a civil guard approached the scene and forced a fifth taxi to stop and take him to where he could be treated. At the Ronda de San Pedro dispensary, which no longer exists, doctors found several fractures and bleeding from the ear. They also noted in the medical record that he did not carry any documents with him – just the book of the Gospels, a rosary, a handkerchief and a key. Still with indigent status, he was transferred to Santa Creu hospital. Only the following day was he recognized by the chaplain of the Sagrada Família, whose construction was in its first stages: it was none other than the creator of the building himself, which would become one of the most famous postcards in Europe. 'God's Architect' Empty street in front of one of Barcelona's main tourist attractions, the Sagrada Familia cathedral Reuters/Nacho Doce Gaudí would agonize for another three days, but the severity of his injuries caused him to die at the age of 73, on June 10, 1926. Between the accident and the death, the news spread through the streets of Barcelona, and the “anonymous” victim had his death announced by the most diverse Spanish newspapers. His funeral was attended by a crowd in a procession that ended at the Sagrada Familia construction site, where his body was buried. To this day, his remains remain in the same crypt of the temple. A fervent Catholic, Gaudí was nicknamed “God’s architect”. With the works scheduled to end in 2032, the Sagrada Família was only consecrated in 2010, by Pope Benedict XVI. On the occasion, the German Pope praised "the genius of Antoni Gaudí" who, "inspired by the ardor of his Christian faith, managed to transform this church into a praise of God made of stone". Upon being proclaimed venerable, the Church recognizes the “heroic virtues” of the Catalan architect. The act precedes beatification, which requires recognition of a miracle. A second Vatican-validated miracle is then required to obtain "saint" status with canonization, usually at the end of a long process lasting several years. Catalan modernism Gaudí arrived in Barcelona in 1868 to study architecture, becoming the biggest name in Catalan modernism at the end of the 19th century. It was in the capital of the autonomous region that he left some of his most famous works, such as Park Güell, Casa Milà and Casa Battló. These and four other buildings were listed as World Heritage Sites by Unesco. His most famous work, however, is the Sagrada Familia, to which he dedicated himself from 1883 until his death. Deeply religious, Gaudí took his work as a priesthood. According to his biographers, he seems to have fallen in love with a woman once in his life, but without being reciprocated. Thus, he remained single until the end of his life. As he matured, the architect began to adopt an eccentric way of life, with frugal habits, dressing in old clothes and not caring about his appearance. One of his customs was to take long daily walks, including on the day of his death, when he went to the church of San Felipe Neri, to meet his friend and confessor, Father Agustí Mas.