San Cayetano Church, Madrid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of San Cayetano |
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| Native name Spanish: Iglesia de San Cayetano |
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| Location | Madrid, Spain |
| Official name: Iglesia de San Cayetano | |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 1980 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0004425 |
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The Church of Saint Cajetan, also called the Church of San Millán y San Cayetano, is a beautiful old church in Madrid, Spain. It was built in the Baroque style, which means it has lots of fancy details and grand designs. This church has a long and interesting story, full of changes and rebuilding over the centuries.
The Church's Story
The Church of San Cayetano stands next to where a convent called Nuestra Señora del Favor (Our Lady of the Graces) used to be. The first building on this spot was a small chapel built in 1612 by Diego de Vera y Ordóñez de Villaquián. It was dedicated to Saint Mark and Our Lady of the Graces.
About 32 years later, a priest named Plácido Mirto started a new religious community here. It was a convent for the Theatine Order, a group of Catholic priests. The church was then named after the founder of this order, Saint Cajetan of Thiene.
Over time, the church and convent faced many challenges. In 1822, the monks had to move to a different convent in Zaragoza. The convent building itself was damaged during the time Napoleon's army occupied Spain. Later, in 1836, the convent building was sold off and turned into private apartments. This was part of a big change in Spain called the Desamortización de Mendizábal, where many church properties became private.
In 1869, the Church of San Cayetano became connected to the parish of another church, Saint Millán Abad, which had been torn down. This is why it's now also known as the Church of San Millán y San Cayetano. Sadly, on July 19, 1936, a fire badly damaged the church, leaving only its front wall standing.
It took many years, but reconstruction of the church finally began in 1960. Thanks to these efforts, the church was brought back to life. In 1980, the Spanish government declared San Cayetano a Bien de Interés Cultural. This means it's a very important historical and artistic monument that needs to be protected.
Inside and Out: The Church's Design
Building the Church of San Cayetano was a long process that started in 1669. The first architect to work on it was Marcos López. Over the years, other famous architects helped with the design and construction. These included José de Churriguera and Pedro de Ribera, who were well-known for their Baroque designs. The church wasn't fully finished until 1761, with the final work done by Francisco de Moradillo.
Moradillo designed the church's impressive front, or facade. It's made of strong granite stone and has three large arches at the bottom. Above these arches, you can see beautiful statues. These statues were created by an artist named Pedro Alonso de los Ríos. They show Saint Cajetan, Our Lady of Grace, and Saint Andrés Avelino.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Cayetano (Madrid) para niños
- Catholic Church in Spain
- List of oldest church buildings
