There are two world-class churches in Barcelona, each at the opposite ends of history and both Gothic in their own way. Cathedral de Seu, a Gothic masterpiece with soaring nave, pointed arches, 28 side chapels and a spectacular cloister, arrived in Barcelona at the earliest moments of the history of Christianity. A basilica existed on this site in 348, and the construction on the current cathedral was started in 1298. Sagrada Familia, called a basilica, is the masterpiece of the modern era, and was Antonio Gaudí's masterwork. Starting in 1884, he worked on the project for over 40 year, but never completed it. As the building proceeded, the style got more fantastic with four spindle-shaped towers that can be likened to termites' nests or children's drip sand castles. The top, finished around 1920, is crowned with Cubist-influenced geometrically shapes. The towers were originally intended to be three times higher. Parts of the unfinished building and Gaudí's models and workshop were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War by Partisans. Gaudí left no further plans and work on the privately owned church since his demise has been on and off.