Reus will host an exact replica of the Chapel of the Assumption of the Sagrada Família cloister in a project promoted by the Fundació Gresol with the approval of the board of the Barcelona temple. The initiative, led by local businessmen, plans to lay the first stone in 2026 and will have a budget of 10 million euros.
The operation aims to reinforce Antoni Gaudí's link with his hometown through a faithful reproduction of a space that is still under construction in Barcelona. At the same time, the future facility will not function as a regular place of worship, although it will be able to host occasional religious events once the Archbishop of Tarragona blesses the premises.
Reus will build the replica with 10 million and the first stone in 2026
The city council will cede and condition the land where the chapel will be built, although the exact location has not yet been made public. Among the options being considered is the area around the Santuari de Misericòrdia, a site also linked to the planned tribute to the Mare de Déu de Misericòrdia, the city's patron saint.
The legal structure of the project will be a public-private entity. Funding will combine donations from companies and individuals, international patronage campaigns, and public contributions.
In addition, the Sagrada Família will provide the plans and molds it currently uses to build the original chapel. This cession will allow for a reduction in construction costs and maintain the formal fidelity of the replica.
The mayor of Reus, Sandra Guaita, frames the initiative within a broader city strategy.
"It is the culmination of many initiatives to definitively link Gaudí with his hometown" - Sandra Guaita, mayor of Reus
Guaita later added that the city council decided to push the project forward without delay. She also stated that her team has been working for months with the Fundació Gresol and other administrations on a new example of public-private collaboration in the city.
The Sagrada Família will supervise a work intended for occasional religious events
The architectural development is the responsibility of the firm formed by Joan Figuerola, Joan Gavaldà, and Jordi Romera. The architects of the Sagrada Família will supervise this work to ensure that the reproduction maintains the characteristics of the cloister chapel.
Xisco Llabrés, responsible for the architectural direction of the original chapel, has already delivered the original models to the Fundació Gresol. This material will serve as the basis for the execution of the project in Reus.
The plan adds top-level institutional and ecclesiastical support. Among them are the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, the Minister of Culture, Sònia Hernández, the president of the Diputació de Tarragona, Noemí Llauradó, the archbishop of Barcelona, Joan Josep Omella, and the archbishop of Tarragona, Joan Planellas.
When the project is finished, the space will be blessed by Joan Planellas and will be able to host occasional religious celebrations, but it will not have ordinary use as a temple. The first stone of the replica is planned for 2026.