 | | The Almudena Cathedral, located opposite the Royal Palace, was consecrated by Juan Pablo II on June 15th, 1993.
In spite of this date, the idea of providing Madrid with a grand cathedral (service that fulfilled the Church of the San Isidro School), had already existed for more than a century.
The temple arose upon terrain handed over by Alfonso XII that had been occupied by the Santa Maria parish church, where the medieval image of "Our Lady of the Almudena", patron saint of Madrid was honoured.
The cathedral began at the end of the XIX century according to a project by Francisco de Cubas, who thought to make a great building following the prevailing neo-gothic style in Europe at that time. |
The first building stone was placed in 1833 of which the crypt would only be constructed following the plans of the marquis. Miguel de Olabarría, Enrique Repullés, Vargas and Juan Moya continued with the construction until the works were put to a halt during the years of the Civil War. In 1944 a National Contest was announced to resolve the problem of the suspended project, contest that Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro won with a classicist project that substantially varied the external aspect of the work conceived by the marquis of Cubas, making it more concurrent with the Real Palace.
The crypt, accessible from the "Cuesta de la Vega", presents a beautiful Neogothic-Byzantine architecture where the Almudena Virgin is honoured inside. The image is a replica of a XV century sculpture that is located in the former San Isidro Cathedral. The fairly simple façade, has broken its sobriety with a 1999 reform that has contributed to a series of statues by Ramón Chaparro and José Luis Parés; Luis A. Sanguino is the designer of the bronze doors.
Among the pieces emphasised in its interior are the "Cristo de la Buena Muerte" by Juan de Mesa; the funeral chest of San Isidro, in colourful leather corresponding to the XIV century; the vault painted with a modern interpretation of the Mudejar stuccoed ceiling and modern stained-glass windows. c/ Bailén,
8 Tel.: 915 422 200 | | |
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