Tourist Attraction in Madrid:
Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena

The Cathedral of the Almudena (Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena is the main Catholic worship place in Madrid. The temple, consecrated by John Paul II in 1993, is located in the central square of Armería, in front of the Royal Palace , and was dedicated to the city's patron, the Virgen de la Almudena. When Leo XIII decreed the creation of the diocese of Madrid, the parish church of Santa Maria de la Almudena was chosen as the cathedral church, whose construction began in 1883, with the the laying of the first stone by King Alfonso XII of Spain, on the grounds where a former temple dedicated to the patron saint of Madrid was demolished in 1868. This area, close to the Royal Palace, was sold to the royal estate in 1879 thanks to the mediation of the queen Mercedes d'Orléans, devoted to the Virgin of the Almudena. The original project of the cathedral, which was going to change that for the parish hall of the Alhudena, is to the architects Giovanni Batti Sacchetti and Francisco de Cubas and González-Montes, known as Cubas's Marquis, who, inspired by Viollet-le-Duc, had a monumental Neo-Gothic style. The construction started from the Neo-Romanesque crypt, finished by architect Enrique María Repullés y Vargas and opened to worship in 1911. The works were back in 1950 under the direction of Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro, with some modifications to the original project, who established the use of neoclassical style for the exterior of the cathedral, maintaining neo-gothic style inside. The work continued until 1965, then resumed in 1984. On June 15, 1993, the cathedral of Madrid was consecrated by Pope John Paul II. The main facade, looking out towards the Royal Palace, is characterized by a Tuscan inspiration portico and the overhanging loggia, characterized by the Ionic order. Above the loggia, in a baroque niche, is the statue of the Virgin of the Almudena, side by side with four other sculptures depicting St. Isidoro, Santa Maria de la Cabeza, Santa Teresa d'Avila and St. Fernando. On the sides of the facade there are two bell-towers. The cathedral has a Latin cross plant with three naves and a transept. Along the walls are triforio and colored stained glass. In the right hand of the transept is the altar of the Virgen de la Almudena, embellished by a retablo of Juan de Borgoña, dating from the 15th to the 16th century; under the altar, elevated and reachable by two stairs ramps, there is the tomb of Queen Mercedes d'Orléans, here transposed in 2000 by the Escorial. In the presbytery there is a wooden crucifix called Christ de la Buena Muerte, a 17th century opera by the sculptor Juan de Mesa (1583-1627), coming from the collegiate church of San Isidro. Paintings on the walls of the apse are by Kiko Argüello; inaugurated by Archbishop Antonio María Rouco Varela on April 28, 2004, the Baptism of Jesus, the Transfiguration, the Crucifixion, the Pantocrator, the Resurrection, the Ascension and the Pentecost have been portrayed in the style of Orthodox icons. The stained glass over the paintings comes from the island of Murano. In the deambulatorio there are some chapels, including that of the Blessed Sacrament, where is placed the canvas Los preparativos para la Crucifixión, the work of the Baroque painter Francisco Rizi. At the foot of the painting is the sculpture of the Christ of Yacente, by the sculptor Juan de Ávalos (1911-2006). The central chapel of the deambulatory is dedicated to St. Isidoro the Farmer and his wife Santa Maria de la Cabeza; here is the 13th century funeral arch that preserved the ruins of the saint, patron of Madrid, currently kept in the collegiate of San Isidro. On the countertop cantor, the large, fully mechanical transmission features four 58-note keyboards each, and a footboard of 32. The prospect, inspired by Neo-Gothic art, was designed by architect Simon Platt. The Plaza de la Villa is a square located in the historic center of Madrid, next to the Calle Mayor. In the square ar

Attractions in Madrid