ALMUDENA CATHEDRAL

Description

Essentials about Almudena Cathedral in brief

Located directly opposite the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral looks much older than it actually is. Completed only in 1993, the cathedral is known today for its unique modern pop-art decoration by icon painter Kiko Argüello, who redesigned the church for the wedding of Crown Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz.

The history of Almudena Cathedral

The first plans for the construction of a new church, which was to be dedicated to Saint Mary of the Almudena (a title of Mother of God Mary as the patron saint of the city of Madrid), were already made in the 16th century. According to the legend, believing Christians had hidden the image of the saint from the Muslims in the 9th century. In 1084, King Alfonso VI conquered the city and gave the order to recover the image of Almudena. It was eventually discovered in the place where the cathedral now stands.

Nevertheless, it took more than three centuries before the construction of the cathedral was finally started in 1883, according to plans by Francisco de Cubas. Cubas was inspired by the French Gothic style of the 13th century, the architectural style of the great cathedrals of France. Almudena Cathedral was intended to be a votive temple for the people, but not enough donations were collected, so construction was delayed. In 1899 Cubas died and in the following years the construction management changed several times. The crypt of the cathedral was inaugurated in 1911, but construction had to be stopped again during the Spanish Civil War.

In 1939, work was resumed. However, in the meantime, aesthetic criteria had changed and a Gothic cathedral was no longer considered appropriate. In 1944, therefore, a public tender was organized to find a new architectural solution for the church. Under the direction of Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro, the cathedral was rebuilt in the 1950s in the neoclassical style to better match the style of the Royal Palace opposite. The work was not finally completed until 1993, the same year that Almudena Cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II and at the same time elevated to the status of Episcopal Church of the Archdiocese of Madrid.

The architecture of Almudena Cathedral

The cathedral, 104 meters long and 76 meters wide, is built in the shape of a Latin cross, consisting of the central nave, flanked by two side aisles, which continues into the choir loft, surrounded by a choir ambulatory, adjoined by a ring of five chapels. In contrast to the external appearance, dominated by neoclassical and baroque stylistic elements, the interior and its furnishings have remained authoritatively in the neo-Gothic style.

The interior of Almudena Cathedral

In the southern transept is the altar of the Virgen de la Almudena, patron saint of Madrid. The central chancel chapel is dedicated to Saint Isidoro Labrador and his wife, Saint María de la Cabeza. They flank a 13th-century sarcophagus, where the saint’s bones were kept for a time. The sarcophagus is painted with various scenes from the life of the saint.

Almudena Cathedral became known to an audience of millions in 2004 for the wedding of Crown Prince Felipe of Spain to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, the first royal couple to marry in the cathedral. Incidentally, the wedding of Felipe and Letizia caused the interior design of the cathedral to be spiced up a bit. For a long time, Almudena Cathedral was considered the most boring cathedral in Spain. On the occasion of the royal wedding, artist and icon painter Kiko Argüello redesigned parts of the interior, including the chancel with its modern window paintings and colorful light shows.

Those less interested in royal weddings and more interested in the history of the Madrid diocese should visit the cathedral’s museum, which displays a number of sacred objects related to the diocese.