She was 112 years and almost 8 months old. Angelina Torres Vallbona was the oldest person in Spain<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fifth of seven siblings, Torres was born in 1913 (one year before World War I) in Bellv\u00eds, a village in the Pla d\u2019Urgell region, although she moved to Barcelona with her mother when she was three. From a very young age, she learned her trade as a seamstress and later worked as a tie-maker at a shop on Portal de l\u2019\u00c0ngel. At that time, the city \u201cwas like a village\u201d, with a sense of fellowship on the streets, she remembers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Around her hundredth birthday, Angelina, who has always been very active and dedicated to others, fell and broke her femur. So, she decided to leave her home on Gran Via and move in with her daughter Merc\u00e8 near the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia. Torres choked up every time she talked about the Basilica, a project she has watched grow from the very beginning \u201cstone by stone\u201d. In March 2025 a mass was held in the crypt for her birthday and she got to visit the inside of the Temple again, a very special moment she shared with her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few days later, she met with us for this blog in the Eixample flat she shared not only with her daughter but also her granddaughter Gemma and great-grandson Mark. She welcomed us warmly and thanked us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You turned 112 a few days ago. Happy birthday! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Angelina (A.):<\/strong> Thank you. I\u2019m very happy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n How was your visit to the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia and what does the Basilica mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong>:<\/strong> Thank God I\u2019ve been able to watch the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia grow, stone by stone. I remember when I was little and played in the square, I would ask the workers: \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d, and they would say: \u201cWe\u2019re building a church that will be the pride of Catalonia...\u201d. Not just of Catalonia, of the whole world! It\u2019s so beautiful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also remember the day I hugged a column on the Nativity fa\u00e7ade when a worker told me he was working there. Too bad there isn\u2019t a picture of that moment. It would have been a great photo (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you (Merc\u00e8, Gemma and Mark), what did you think of the visit?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gemma (G.)<\/strong>: <\/strong>We really liked the guide, she explained all the symbolism, the colours... And being able to share it with the family and Angelina, who loves it so much, it was really special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark (Ma.)<\/strong>:<\/strong> It means a lot to have seen it with her. It\u2019s really lovely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What does the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Merc\u00e8 (Me.):<\/strong> I\u2019ve lived in the neighbourhood since 1970, and for me the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia is like my second family. It\u2019s like a constant companion. I work with the parish any time I can and give the reverend a hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have any stories?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Me<\/strong>.:<\/strong> I had the honour of meeting Subirachs. He was a good man. Once I went to his workshop and I was amazed when he explained how he made the doors with wax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is it like living with four generations under the same roof? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ma<\/strong>.:<\/strong> It\u2019s strange and fun at the same time. I learn values and hear stories I can learn from every day. It\u2019s a unique experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Me.<\/strong>:<\/strong> Angelina has shared loads of stories from when she was little and we love hearing them. We help each other a lot, we\u2019re one big family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n G<\/strong>.:<\/strong> Plus, it\u2019s lucky because she remembers lots of family stories, things the rest of us don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Angelina, what does living with your family mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong>: <\/strong>I\u2019m very happy to be with all of them, and that we can chat and laugh all together. I\u2019m so proud of my family. Thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What do you think is the key to a long life?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong>: <\/strong>I\u2019ve also wondered that. How have I managed to live so long? What have I done? When I wake up each morning, I think I have to help others and do good. That\u2019s all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Me i G.<\/strong>:<\/strong> Maybe the secret is eating a yoghurt every day. And she also loves chocolate. She doesn't deny herself anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What tips do you have for young people?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong>: <\/strong>To be happy and respect their elders, because they were young once too. And to take care of others whenever possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How have I managed to live so long? I've also wondered that. When I wake up each morning, I think I have to help others and do good. That\u2019s all.<\/p>Angelina Torres Vallbona<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n How do you remember the Barcelona of your childhood?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.: <\/strong>It has changed a lot. Before it was like a village. The Sagrada Fam\u00edlia was surrounded by fields. There was a sense of fellowship. I remember playing with my friends in the street or how people would take their coca up to Montju\u00efc, to the Font del Gat, on Midsummer\u2019s Eve. Then the war came and took away that joy. I was 17 and we had to queue up for food at night. Those were terrible years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We finished off the interview talking about the future of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia and the completion of the tower of Jesus Christ in 2026, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Gaud\u00ed\u2019s death. All four of them are excited to see the finished Basilica and hope to keep joining \u201cgrandma\u201d on more visits. \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot, but I hope to see it all,\u201d concluded Angelina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n