Cathedral de la Almudena, Madrid by Hans Kool

About "Cathedral de la Almudena, Madrid"

by Hans Kool

About the artwork

Vectorama of Madrid's magisterial cathedral. The church is officially called "Santa María la Real de La Almudena" and construction began in 1883. The cathedral is dedicated to "Virgen de la Almudena", or the medieval icon of Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ and also the patron saint of the city. More than a hundred years later in 1993, the completed building was officially consecrated as a cathedral by Pope John Paul II. A statue of the Pope can therefore also be seen on the east side.

The construction of the cathedral did take more than 100 years and is only about 21 years old. Although King Felipe II wanted a cathedral in Madrid as early as 1561, construction of the Almudena Cathedral did not start until 1883. The reason Madrid did not have a cathedral before this is because it still belonged to the archdiocese of Toledo until 1868. This city, which is less than an hour's drive from Madrid, is one of the oldest cities in Spain.

To make the construction of the cathedral fit well with the adjacent Royal Palace, a neoclassical style was used instead of the originally conceived Gothic style. Remarkably, the interior of this cathedral has pop-art influence. The doors of the cathedral are made of bronze, the ceilings are painted in all colours and the windows are stained glass. In addition, the Almudena cathedral has an impressive crypt with 558 columns that is well worth a visit.

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