Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Barcelona has left behind many images that will become part of the city’s history.  

On June 9, 2026, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys became the epicenter of Christianity, hosting the moving vigil “Alça la mirada” (“Lift Up Your Eyes”), one of the most well-attended events of the Pontiff’s trip to Catalonia. During the event, various faithful shared their testimonies and concerns, finding guidance, consolation, and a message of hope in the Holy Father’s words.  

The vigil also featured outstanding artistic and musical performances by Alfred García, Álvaro Soler, Beret, Conchita, the group Sabor de Gràcia, and the choir Gòspel Sense Fronteres. One of the most moving moments of the night was the joint performance of the song “Em dones força” by the Escolania de Montserrat and Sergio Dalma, a performance that deeply moved the audience.  

The following day, the event culminated with the blessing of the Jesus Christ tower of the Sagrada Família, as part of the centennial commemorating the death of Antoni Gaudí.
Although the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and the Sagrada Família represent two different worlds, one a symbol of sports and the 1992 Olympic Games, and the other a universal masterpiece of architecture and a symbol of faith, they share a deep connection: the stone of Montjuïc, the material used to build some of the city’s most iconic buildings and present both in historical elements linked to the Olympic mountain and in various phases of the Sagrada Família’s construction. The very mountain that is home to the Estadi Olímpic has thus been an essential source of the raw material that has shaped what is now the tallest temple in the world.

With his visit, Pope Leo XIV brought together Montjuïc, a space of civic vocation open to the world, and the Sagrada Família, an expression of Gaudí’s creative genius and spiritual transcendence. Between the two, a discreet yet fundamental element: the stone that, extracted from the very soil of Barcelona, has helped build its most universal symbols and sustains this great narrative of our City.