Barcelona's famed Sagrada Familia church has received a building permit - almost 140 years after work began.

The distinctive modernist structure was designed by the acclaimed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí.

Work began in 1882, with Guadí taking over the following year and spending the remainder of his life on the project.

However, only a fraction of the building was complete when he died in 1926, and work has continued in the century since then.

Even in its incomplete form it has become one of Barcelona's most popular tourist attractions, with an estimated 20 million visitors every year.

Gaudi's work on the building is recognised - along with several other of his works in the Barcelona area - as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

However, a legal dispute emerged in recent years as the church never had a formal construction licence from Barcelona authorities.

Last year, an agreement was reached between the monument's management and the city council - with Sagrada Familia authorities committing more than €35 million to improve nearby streets and the city's public transport system.

Now, the building licence has been officially approved by Barcelona City Council.

In a statement, Sagrada Familia authorities said: "The normalisation of the construction licence was made possible through a collaboration between the Barcelona City Council and the Sagrada Familia, which have worked closely for the past two years.