Catedral de La Almudena place_of_worship

The Cathedral of Madrid has a short but intense history. The first plans were drawn by Francisco de Cubas as a pantheon for Queen Maria de la Mercedes. But the project was transformed and became a cathedral. In this new project Cubas was more ambitious, inspired by the French Gothic of the 13th century, adding elements from the cathedrals of Reims, Chartres and León. In 1899 the Marquis of Cubas died and Miguel Olabarría, Enrique Mª Repullés and Juan Moya took over the direction of the works. The works were suspended during the Civil War and were resumed, with scarce resources, in 1939. From then on, the aesthetic criteria changed and a Gothic cathedral was not considered adequate because of the contrast it produced in the surroundings. In 1944 the Dirección General de Bellas Artes called a national competition for a new architectural solution. The cathedral could be considered finished in 1993. It was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on his fourth trip to Spain on June 15, 1993. 💡Curiosities It also has a museum that houses various offerings and donations to the Patrons of the city: La Virgen de la Almudena and San Isidro Labrador. It shows a journey through the life of the Church through the seven sacraments.