Cathedral in Madrid next to the Royal Palace. Almudena Cathedral is the magnificent cathedral of Madrid. Features of the architectural solutions of the cathedral

Almudena Cathedral - Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena (la catedral de Santa María La Real de La Almudena) is located on the Armory Square of Madrid, opposite the Royal Palace. Legend has it that the famous Almudena Cathedral was founded in honor of an ancient figurine of the Virgin Mary, which once belonged to the Apostle James, and was found in the wall of an ancient Arab fortress.

Almudena Cathedral - a legend

Tourists exploring the history and architecture of Madrid with a guide will definitely hear beautiful story about how Jacob, who preached Christianity in the Pyrenees, brought a figurine of the Mother of God to the territory of the peninsula. It was preserved by believers until the Arabs came to Spain. The Christians decided to keep the statue and hid it in the best place, which turned out to be the fortress wall. Only in 1083, the image was found by accident - during a procession through the city after a service in the temple, several stones fell off one of the walls. Behind them was the image of the heavenly patroness.

Almudena Cathedral - with the Royal Palace in the background
Almudena Cathedral - Armory Square

Almudena Cathedral - construction

It is to this legend that the temple dedicated to the Virgin Almudena owes its name (translated from Arabic “almudene” means “fortress”). Until the 19th century, Madrid did not have a cathedral, since the Spanish capital was not the center of a diocese. And only after its approval by decree of Pope Leo XIII, the first stone was laid in the foundation of the cathedral. Construction began on April 4, 1883.

The foundation stone was laid by King Alfonso XII the Pacifier with his own hand, and the construction was by no means dedicated to a festive event. The church was supposed to become the final resting place for the royal wife who died of tuberculosis: Maria de las Mercedes of Orleans and Bourbon died just six months after the wedding.

The resulting structure became one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. And today, if you enter Madrid from the southwest side, its towers against the backdrop of the capital are the first thing that catches your eye. In general, the architectural style of the cathedral can be attributed to neo-Gothic. Moreover, an interesting fact is that according to the original plan of the architect, Francisco de Cubas, the building was relatively dark.

Almudena Cathedral and Armory Square in the evening
Almudena Cathedral - inside

Only in 1944 the design of the unfinished temple was changed, after which the structure became much lighter and brighter. With all this, construction was completed only in 1993, that is, 110 years after the laying of the first stone. Work was first interrupted by the civil war, followed by economic recovery. And later, after a new period of construction in 65 - 84, the government simply did not allocate money for work.

Almudena Cathedral - architecture

In the architecture of the cathedral Special attention attracts a huge octagonal dome, at its highest point reaching 73 meters. It is surrounded by twelve statues of the apostles, replacing turrets. The facade of the building says little about its religious purpose - facing the armory square (directly opposite the Royal Palace), it looks more like the “face” of an administrative building. Columns on two levels (on the second there is a fairly large portico), rectangular windows and high rows of steps.

Almudena Cathedral - altar
Almudena Cathedral - organ

If it were not for the numerous statues with religious motifs, the building could easily be confused with a university building or, for example, a court. This was largely due to the architect Fernando Goitia, who led the construction in the middle of the last century. He redesigned the facade so that its design was in maximum harmony with the design of the Royal Palace located opposite. However, four statues of evangelists on the balcony, sculptures of Peter and Paul in niches along the edges of the facade, as well as two high towers with bells - all this suggests that this is a religious building.

The building of the Almudena Cathedral is quite impressive: with a total area of 4800 square meters. meters, the length of the nave is 82 meters. The width of the aisles is 6 meters, and the width of the nave is 12.5. One of the main decorations of the temple’s interior is a 70-voice organ, built in 1999.

History buffs will be interested in the crypt in which famous people are buried. By the way, the tomb of Maria de las Mercedes, the 18-year-old queen, is not in the crypt, but under the arch formed by two staircases leading to the altar of St. Maria Almudena.

Almudena Cathedral opening hours and entrance fees:

Every day from 9:00 to 20:30 hours
Service times:
Monday to Saturday: 12:00, 18:00 and 19:00 hours.
On Sundays and Public Holidays: 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 18:00 and 19:00.

Entrance to the Cathedral is formal free.
At the entrance they ask for a symbolic donation of 1 euro per person for the needs of the Cathedral.

Official website of the Almudena Cathedral: http://www.catedraldelaalmudena.es

Address: Calle de Bailén, 10, 28013 Madrid

The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de La Almudena (Santa María la Real de La Almudena) or simply the Cathedral of Almudena is the main temple of the capital, Madrid and - by definition - the main church of the country. It is located in a legal place for a construction of such status - opposite (Armeria Square, that is, Arms) - but construction began only in 1879, and was completed, that is, officially consecrated only in 1993!

How did it happen that Madrid - the center of a kingdom exceptionally rich in Catholic cathedrals (remember, for example, in Santiago de Compostela, a huge cathedral, an ornate Gothic cathedral) - remained for so long without a majestic church designed to demonstrate to the whole world the greatness of the country and people's faith in God?

Many explain this by the fact that Madrid was not the center of the diocese until 1884 and, they say, as soon as the diocese was created, the need for a cathedral arose. This explanation, however, does not explain anything, since given the close ties of Catholic Spain with, it would not have been difficult for Philip II to ask to turn the capital into a separate diocese, as we know, and he moved the capital to Madrid.

In fact, plans to build a cathedral in honor of the Holy Virgin of Almudena, the patroness of Madrid, were actively discussed starting from the 16th century, but were never implemented due to the constantly empty treasury - the money was spent on anything, but not on the construction of this much-needed capital building. It is all the more surprising that construction began only at the end of the 19th century, when Spain from a transatlantic empire turned into a rather poor and economically backward country. Construction was slow due to lack of funds and the difficult political situation in the country.

The foundation stone for the future Almudena Cathedral was laid by King Alfonso XII in 1884; the design of the impressive neo-Gothic structure was created by the Marquis Francisco de Cubas. During the Civil War, construction was stopped, and when it was resumed in the 50s of the last century, they decided to adapt the style of the cathedral façade to the Royal Palace (Baroque) standing opposite, creating a unified architectural ensemble. They even decided to choose light gray for the color of the building!

The conversion work was led by Fernando Chueca-Goitia. Interestingly, the word Almudena comes from the Arabic Al Mudayna, meaning "citadel", and the legend regarding the origin of the statue of the Virgin of Almudena dates back to the time of the Arab conquest and. Allegedly, when the Moors approached Madrid in 712 - or rather, the city that then stood in its place - the residents hid a statue of the Virgin Mary in one of the walls, because they believed that it would protect their houses from destruction.

In 1083, when the troops of King Alfonso VI reoccupied Madrid, his soldiers fortunately found this statue and since then it has been considered a symbol of Madrid. And the day of the Holy Virgin of Almudena, November 9, is always celebrated very solemnly in the capital. On May 22, 2004, at the Almudena gathering, Crown Prince Felipe of Spain and TV presenter Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, now known as the second-ranking woman in the monarchy after Queen Sofia, the Princess of Asturias, were married.

Address: Calle de Bailén, 10, Spain
How to get there: Opera metro station, Bailén stop, bus routes No. 3, 148
Opening hours (main building): Monday-Saturday from 10 to 21 hours, Sunday from 10 to 19 (collections 1 and 2, from 1900 to 1968, open from 14.30). On Tuesdays, January 1 and 6, May 1 and 15, November 9, December 24, 25, 31, the museum is closed
Entrance fee: €6 for the main exhibition (adult), €3 for temporary exhibitions only. Admission is free daily from 19:00 to 21:00, Saturday from 14:30 to 21:00, Sundays, April 18, May 18, October 12 and December 6

Entrance to the Crystal Palace and the Velazquez Palace is always free. Note that there is a kind of subscription for visits - a one-year Madrid Art Pass costs only € 21.6 and allows you to visit all three museums of the Golden Triangle once. The same card, worth 36.06 €, allows you to visit designated centers of culture without restrictions on the number of visits Website: museoreinasofia.es/index_en.html

Hello dear readers. Do you want to know how the fortress and the elegant temple are connected? Do you love elegant architecture? Then the Almudena Cathedral will definitely impress you. Today we will talk about this beautiful cathedral, famous as an architectural masterpiece and as one of the most protracted long-term construction projects.

Listen to how beautiful its name sounds: Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena.

The full Spanish name is written as: La catedral de Santa María La Realde La Almudena.

Well, to put it briefly, Almudena Cathedral is Cathedral Madrid.

It is located directly opposite the famous Royal Palace, and was built in honor of the Virgin of Almudene.

This attraction owes its complex name, which goes back to the Arabic word “almudena”, which means fortress, to a legend according to which a figurine of the Virgin Mary was found in the wall of an ancient Arab fortress located on this site.

The Spaniards believe that the Virgin Mary is the patroness of Madrid. Therefore, the find acquired a deep mystical meaning in the eyes of the city residents.

At the site where the figure of the patron saint was found, it was decided to build a beautiful temple and name it in honor of the Virgin Mary de la Almudena.

Long story

But it was possible to begin to realize the dream only in the 16th century, during the reign of King Philip II, when Madrid became the capital of Spain and the king allocated money for construction.

However, the construction of a temple worthy of the great saint was constantly postponed. The reason for this was political strife. In addition, the Archdiocese of Toledo constantly resisted for a completely understandable reason. Even the king could not do anything.

Permission to begin construction was received from the church authorities of Toledo only in 1868.

What architectural style should the temple be in? Of course, in neo-Gothic - the most refined and religiously sublime. The project of the building, representing the neo-Gothic style, was created by Francisco de Cubas.

Construction began 15 years later, in 1883.

A year later, thanks to Pope Leo XIII, Madrid established its own diocese. The temple becomes not just an elegant religious building, but the main cathedral of the city. The increase in status made adjustments to the architectural plan.

It was then that Alfonso XII laid the first stone for the future structure. The structure was supposed to become a tomb for the ruler's wife.

By 1911, the tomb was built and opened.

Construction proceeded slowly. And soon (1930) it was completely suspended, because. the civil war began.

In 1944, construction resumed. But changes were again made to the architectural plan. The cathedral should be in harmony with the royal palace located next door. Therefore, the neoclassical style, fashionable at that time, was now chosen.

Construction ended only towards the end of the 20th century in 1993.

Features of architecture and interior

It doesn’t matter that this temple is extremely young compared to many other cathedrals in Spain. He deserves no less attention.

There are many things that make the cathedral unique. For example, its impressive dimensions:

the total area of the cathedral is 7,904 sq. m.
length - 104 m
width 76 m
diameter of the central dome 20 m

In total, the construction of the cathedral itself took 110 years, which is not a long time by the standards of such grandiose structures. For example, it took 579 years to build, and Cologne Cathedral took 8 centuries to build.

The facades of the building represent a neoclassical style.
The dome is neo-baroque. The inside of the building is very bright.
The altar is made of green marble, which is mined near Granada.
The side chapels are dedicated to the saints of Madrid.

building gate

The gate is decorated with bas-reliefs made with amazing attention to detail. They depict biblical scenes.

Ceiling

Stained glass windows in pop art style, leaving colorful reflections on the floor.

There is a museum under the roof of the temple. Many state and church relics are collected here.
Organ music concerts are often held here on weekends.

Working hours

July-August: from 10:00 to 21:00
other times: from 9:00 to 20:30

What is the price

Entrance to the cathedral is free

Official site: www.catedraldelaalmudena.es

Where to stay in Madrid

Now many housing options in Madrid have appeared on the service AirBnb. We have written how to use this service. If you do not find a free hotel room, then look for accommodation through this booking site.

We rented a hotel room Hostal Americafor 34 euros. Hostel in the city center, within walking distance of the main attractions. We recommend.

We offer good hotel options in Madrid

How to get there

By bus 39, 3, 148 or to the Opera metro station.

Address: Callede Bailén, 10

Cathedral on the map

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When entering Madrid from the southwest, the white towers of the Almudena Cathedral, built in the neo-Gothic style, are clearly visible against the background of the city.

“The Holy Virgin of Almudena” is the name given to the statue of the Blessed Virgin, who patronizes the capital of Spain. Word Almudena translated from Arabic as “fortress” or “bridgehead”, since, according to legend, a figurine of the Virgin Mary was found in the wall of an ancient Arab fortress.

According to the same legend, the statue of the Blessed Virgin of Almudena was brought to Spain by the Apostle James, who preached the Christian faith in the Pyrenees in the 1st century. When these lands were captured by the Arabs, the believers decided to safely hide the statue of their heavenly patroness from the invaders. King Alfonso VI, who managed to recapture Madrid from the Arabs in 1083, was aware that this miraculous image was hidden somewhere in the city, but all efforts to find it were in vain. And only after the solemn prayer, at the moment when the procession led by the king was moving through the streets of Madrid, two stones unexpectedly fell out of the wall of one house, and the statue in all its glory appeared before the admiring eyes of those marching. But this is just a legend, whether it happened or not, one can only guess...

For two centuries, the statue of Saint Almudena was kept in the ancient Madrid Cathedral of Santa Maria, and after it was demolished - in one of the monasteries. The current Cathedral of Santa Almudena was built in 1833 just opposite the royal palace. Its construction proceeded at a very slow pace, and shortly before the Spanish Civil War it was completely stopped. Construction began again only in 1944, and now the cathedral is almost completely ready, but inside it is practically empty. Despite the fact that there is practically nothing inside, in 1993 Pope John Paul II consecrated the cathedral.

Many people wonder why there was no cathedral in Madrid. The answer is simple - the city simply was not the center of the episcopate. On March 9, 1884, Pope Leo XIII established the episcopate of Madrid-Alcala with the bull “Romani Pontifices”. On April 4, 1884, Alphonse XII opened the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new cathedral, planned as a tomb for his first wife Marie de las Mercedes d'Orléans and Bourbon, who died of tuberculosis 6 months after their wedding. The first project in the neo-Gothic style was planned by the Marquis Francisco de Cubas.

A neo-Romanesque tomb was opened in the Amuden Cathedral in 1911. There are several important burials from the 19th century, as well as the painting “The Immaculate with Fleur de Lis” - created on plaster in the 16th century. The original design of de Cubas was changed quite a lot in 1944 by architects Carl Sidro and Fernando Chueca-Goitia, and construction ended in 1993, when the cathedral was consecrated by the Pope.

The cathedral's 75-meter-high dome, designed in the neo-Baroque style, stands out especially, while the facades are made in the Neoclassical Herreresco style. The central nave is 99 meters long and the transept is 65 meters long. Mostly sandstone, limestone and granite were used in construction.

The main altar is made of green Granada marble. The 17th-century crucifix that adorns the altar was created in the Baroque style by Juan de Mesa. The painting behind the altar, “The Unveiling of Christ,” was painted in the 17th century by Francisco Rizzi. The walnut choir chairs from the late 16th century were moved here from the ancient church of St. Carmen. The side chapels are dedicated to the saints of Madrid, some of them without any decoration at all. The most interesting decoration of the cathedral chapels is the figure of John the Baptist from the 18th century. works by Michel, in the first chapel on the right, in the right wing of the transept - a retablo of John of Burgundy from the beginning of the 16th century, from the same period a figure of the Virgin of Almudena, patroness of the city. In the altar aisle there is a casket with the remains of St. Isidrus, most interesting work 18th century with paintings and “Reclining Christ” by Juan de Avalos. In the first chapel on the left is “Christ Tied to a Pillar” by Giaccomo Colombo.

In May 2004, the wedding of Crown Prince Felipe and TV presenter Letizia Ortiz took place in the Almudena Cathedral. The cathedral and the square attract many tourists who constantly visit this place. You can freely visit Almudena and explore everything, but it is advisable to speak Spanish at least at an elementary level, since few people in Madrid understand English, and certainly no one knows Russian. A Russian-Spanish phrasebook will come in handy and will help you get comfortable when sightseeing

Almudena Cathedral in Madrid (Spain) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Almudena Cathedral is the main and most famous cathedral in Madrid, located next to the Royal Palace. Construction of the cathedral began in 1884 under King Alfonso XII, and was opened to the public only in 1993, when all the interior decoration was completed. The king personally laid the first stone in the foundation of the future cathedral: he planned to bury his wife Maria de las Mercedes of Orleans, who died suddenly of tuberculosis, within its walls.

The Almudena Cathedral, like many others, has its own legend. They say that the statue of Maria Almudena was brought to Spain personally by the Apostle James, who preached the Christian faith in the country. But since Spain was conquered by the Arabs in the 1st century, the valuable artifact had to be hidden. The statue was hidden so well that when Alfonso VI took Spain back from the Arabs in the 11th century, it could not be found. But one day, when a procession was walking through the city after a solemn prayer service, several stones fell out of their own accord from the wall of one of the houses, and under them they found the lost statue of the Blessed Virgin. Since then, the Virgin Mary of Almudena has been considered the patroness of Madrid.

The statue of Maria Almudena does exist and is still kept within the walls of the cathedral. True, it dates from the 16th century, not the first. It was in honor of her that they decided to build an entire cathedral, but construction began only at the end of the 19th century. The building itself is made in the neoclassical style with elements of neo-Gothic and romanticism; later, in 1911, a tomb in the neo-Romanesque style was added to it.

World Wars and Civil War In Spain, the construction of the cathedral was slowed down. In 1944, when passions had subsided, the architect Fernando Chueco-Goitia resumed work and slightly changed appearance façade so that it would look harmonious next to the royal palace.

In 1993, Pope John Paul II consecrated the cathedral, and in honor of this, a statue with his image was erected in front of the cathedral building. In 2004, King Felipe and Leticia Ortiz got married here.

External and internal decoration of the cathedral

In addition to the building itself, its gates attract attention: the bas-reliefs depict biblical scenes, the details are very clearly drawn. The cathedral itself is very light and bright, as sunlight penetrates through the stained glass windows and leaves colorful reflections everywhere. The altar is made entirely of green marble and resembles Orthodox altars. This is due to the fact that the Spanish sculptor Kiko Arguello, who made it, was very interested in Orthodox iconography and, in particular, the work of Andrei Rublev.

There is a museum at the temple where you can see valuable icons and other relics. Organ concerts are often held on weekends.

Practical information

Address: Madrid, Calle Bailén 10.

Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 21:00; The museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:30.

Admission: free, but voluntary donations are welcome.