Almudena Cathedral (''Santa María la Real de La Almudena'') is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. It is the seat of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid is one of Spain's fourteen metropolitan archbishoprics. Since 28 August 2014 the archbishop of Madrid has been Carlos Osoro Sierra. Although Madrid has been the seat of the Spanish Crown since 1561, the d ...

. The cathedral was consecrated by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in 1993.

History

When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to

in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo and the new capital had no cathedral. Plans for a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena were discussed as early as the 16th century but even though Spain built more than 40 cities overseas during that century, plenty of cathedrals and fortresses, the cost of expanding and keeping the Empire came first and the construction of Madrid's cathedral was postponed. Making the cathedral the largest that the world had ever seen was then a priority. All other main Spanish cities had centuries-old cathedrals, and Madrid had its own old churches, but the construction of Almudena only began in 1879. The cathedral seems to have been built on the site of a medieval mosque that was destroyed in 1083 when

Alfonso VI Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...

reconquered Madrid.

Francisco de Cubas Francisco de Cubas y González-Montes (13 April 1826 – 2 January 1899) was a Spanish architect and politician. He was also known as the Marquis of Cubas (Marqués de Cubas) after his noble title, the marquisate of Cubas. He was also from 189 ...

, the Marquis of Cubas, designed and directed the construction in a

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style. Construction was interrupted by the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

, and the site lay abandoned until 1950, when adapted the plans of de Cubas to a

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

exterior to match the grey and white façade of the

Palacio Real The Royal Palace of Madrid ( es, Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the ...

that stands directly opposite. The cathedral was completed in 1993, when it was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different gro ...

. On 22 May 2004, the marriage of

King Felipe VI Felipe VI (;, * eu, Felipe VI.a, * ca, Felip VI, * gl, Filipe VI, . Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the son of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, and h ...

, then crown prince, to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano took place at the cathedral. The

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

interior is uniquely modern, with chapels and statues of contemporary artists, in heterogeneous styles, from historical revivals to "pop-art" decor. The

Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of th ...

Chapel features mosaics by Fr.

Marko Ivan Rupnik Marko Ivan Rupnik (born 28 November 1954) is a Slovenian Jesuit priest, theologian and mosaic artist. He is the director of the Aletti Center in Rome, and creator of church mosaics throughout the world, including those of the ''Redemptoris Ma ...

. The icons in the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

were painted by

Kiko Argüello Francisco José Gómez de Argüello y Wirtz (born January 9, 1939) is a Spanish artist and, together with Carmen Hernández, co-initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way. Early life Argüello was born in León, he studied fine arts at the Royal ...

, artist and founder of the

Neocatechumenal Way The Neocatechumenal Way, also known as the Neocatechumenate, or NCW (colloquially, The Way or Neo-Cats) is an association of the Christian faithful within the Catholic Church. It was formed in Madrid in 1964 by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hern� ...

. The

Neo-Romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

crypt A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a c ...

houses a 16th-century image of the ''Virgen de la Almudena''. Nearby along the Calle Mayor, excavations have unearthed remains of

Moorish The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or s ...

and medieval city walls.

Notable burials

People buried at Almudena Cathedral include: * Her Majesty

Mercedes of Orleans Mercedes may refer to: People * Mercedes (name), a Spanish feminine name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or last name Automobile-related * Mercedes (marque), the pre-1926 brand name of German automobile m ...

, Queen of Spain (1860–1878) * His Highness Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria (1884–1958) * His Highness Jose Eugenio, Prince of Bavaria (1909–1966) * His Highness Luis Alfonso, Prince of Bavaria (1906–1983) * Her Highness Doña María de la Asunción Solange de Mesía y de Lesseps, Princess of Bavaria and Countess of Odiel (1911–2005) *

Carmen Franco, 1st Duchess of Franco María del Carmen Franco y Polo, 1st Duchess of Franco, Grandee of Spain, Marchioness of Villaverde (14 September 1926 – 29 December 2017) was the only child of Spain's '' caudillo'', General Francisco Franco and his wife, Carmen Polo y Mart ...

(1926–2017) *

Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú, 10th Marquess of Villaverde Cristóbal or Cristobal, the Spanish version of Christopher, is a masculine given name and a surname which may refer to: Given name *Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972), Spanish fashion designer *Cristóbal Cobo (born 1976), Chilean academic * Cr ...

(1922–1998) *

, I Marquess of Cubas (1826–1899) * Francisco de Cubas y Erice, II Marquess of Cubas, II Marquess of Fontalba and

Grandee Grandee (; es, Grande de España, ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ...

of Spain (1868–1937) * Estanislao de Urquijo y Landaluce, I Marquess of Urquijo (1817-1889) * Estanislao de Urquijo y Ussía, III Marquess of Urquijo (1872-1948) * Isabel de Maltrana y de Novales, I Marquise de Maltrana (d. 1919) * Luis de Pedroso y Madan, V Count of San Esteban de Cañongo (1876-1952) * María Dolores de Pedroso y Sturdza, VI Countess of San Esteban de Cañongo * Margarita de Pedroso y Sturdza, VII Countess of San Esteban de Cañongo (1911-1989) * Cardinal

Ángel Suquía Goicoechea Ángel Suquía Goicoechea (2 October 1916 – 13 July 2006) was a Spanish Catholic cardinal who served as archbishop of Madrid from 1983 until 1994. He was educated at the La Salle Christian Brothers at Beasain from 1925 until 1927. He entered ...

(1916–2006) * Fernando Rielo Pardal (1923–2004) * Alfonso Peña Boeuf (1888–1966) *

Enrique María Repullés Enrique María Repullés, (30 October 1845 – 13 September 1922 in Madrid) was a Spanish architect. He was a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando along with Narciso Pascual Colomer and Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. Work i ...

(1845–1922)

Gallery

Madrid. Catedral de la Almudena 5.jpg, Cathedral as seen from

Royal Palace of Madrid The Royal Palace of Madrid ( es, Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the ...

Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid, España, 2014-12-27, DD 26.JPG, Nave looking toward the sanctuary Almudena Madrid May 2014-11a.jpg, Interior of the square cupola Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid, España, 2014-12-27, DD 32.JPG, Nave Vault Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid, España, 2014-12-27, DD 28.JPG, The organ Catedral_de_la_Almudena,_Madrid,_España,_2014-12-27,_DD_27.JPG, Rear view of the main altar Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid, España, 2014-12-27, DD 21.JPG, Bell towers with Royal Palace in the background Cripta de la Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid, España, 2014-12-27, DD 43.JPG, The crypt 31659-Madrid_(35598298301).jpg, Tomb of Queen María de las

Almudena_2022_-_virgin_chapel.jpg, Altar to the Virgin of Almudena Catedral_Santa_María_la_Real_de_la_Almudena,Madrid,Comunidad_de_Madrid,España._(8542193919).jpg, Sarcophagi of Saint Isidore the Laborer

References

External links

{{Authority control Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Community of Madrid Roman Catholic churches in Madrid Neoclassical architecture in Madrid Gothic Revival architecture in Madrid Gothic Revival church buildings in Spain 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Spain Church buildings with domes Buildings and structures in Palacio neighborhood, Madrid Neoclassical church buildings in Spain

History

Notable burials

Gallery

See also

References

External links