Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, a masterpiece under construction for over a century, is famous for its slow progress. But did you know that until very recently, this iconic structure was technically missing something crucial for its existence?

It's like a bizarre urban legend for Barcelona! According to June 2019 reports from The Guardian and The New York Times, Sagrada Familia never had an official building permit since construction began in 1882! This oversight happened because Gaudí applied to an older town council, but as Barcelona expanded, the site's municipal boundaries changed, leaving the permit status unresolved for over a century. Not until 2019 did the Sagrada Familia Foundation reach an agreement with Barcelona city council, paying 4.6 million euros in fees to finally "legalize" the unfinished masterpiece. Gaudí would probably be rolling his eyes at this bureaucratic mess!