Almudena Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Almudena Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of the Almudena
View from the North-west.
40°24′56″N 3°42′52″W / 40.415586°N 3.714558°W / 40.415586; -3.714558
Location	Madrid
Country	Spain
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Dedication	Virgin of Almudena
Consecrated	15 June 1993
Architecture
Functional status	Cathedral
Style	Neoclassical, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Romanesque
Years built	1883 – 1993
Specifications
Length	102 m (335 ft)
Nave width	12.5 m (41 ft)
Number of towers	2
Tower height	72 m (236 ft)
Administration
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Madrid

The Almudena Cathedral is a big, beautiful Roman Catholic cathedral in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. It's also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of the Almudena. This cathedral is the main church for the Archdiocese of Madrid. It's quite new compared to many old Spanish churches. Its construction started in 1883 and finished over 100 years later. Pope John Paul II officially opened it in 1993.

The cathedral is located right across from the Royal Palace. Its design was carefully planned to fit in with the grand look of the palace next door.

History of the Almudena Cathedral
Gallery
See also

History of the Almudena Cathedral

When Madrid became the capital of Spain in 1561, the main church for the country stayed in Toledo. This meant Madrid, the new capital, didn't have its own cathedral. People started talking about building a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena way back in the 1500s. However, Spain was busy building many cities and forts overseas. The huge costs of managing a large empire meant that building Madrid's cathedral had to wait.

Building the Cathedral: From Church to Grand Design

The first design for the building was made by Francisco de Cubas. He originally planned it as a simple local church. The first stone was laid in 1883. But in 1885, Pope Leo XIII decided to create a new church area for Madrid, called the Madrid-Alcalá bishopric. Because of this, the plans for the building changed. It was now designed to be a grand Gothic revival cathedral.

The cathedral is thought to be built on the spot where an old mosque once stood. This mosque was destroyed in 1083 when King Alfonso VI took back Madrid.

Challenges and Completion

Building the cathedral stopped during the Spanish Civil War. The site was left empty until 1950. Then, an architect named Fernando Chueca Goitia [es] changed de Cubas's plans. He added a baroque style to the outside. This was done so the cathedral would match the grey and white look of the Palacio Real right across the street.

Consecration of the Cathedral in 1993 by Pope John Paul II.

The cathedral was finally finished in 1993. Pope John Paul II officially opened it. The cathedral's special protectors are Santa María la Real de la Almudena and Saint Isidro Labrador.

On May 22, 2004, a very important event happened here. King Felipe VI, who was then the crown prince, married Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano at the cathedral.

Inside the Almudena Cathedral

The inside of the cathedral has a Neo-Gothic style, but it's also very modern. You'll find chapels and statues made by artists from today. These artworks have many different styles, from old-fashioned to "pop-art" designs. For example, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel has beautiful mosaics by Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik. The pictures in the apse (the curved part behind the altar) were painted by Kiko Argüello. He is an artist and the person who started the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Neo-Romanesque crypt is a special underground area. It holds an old image of the Virgen de la Almudena from the 1500s. Nearby, if you walk along the Calle Mayor, you can see parts of old Moorish and medieval city walls that were found during digging.