3 .
A L M U D E N A
C A T H E D R A L
CALLE DE BAILÉN, 10
Madrid ' s cathedral , which stands in Hapsburg Madrid ,
has a short but tortuous history . The first plans for the
church were drawn up in 1879 by Francisco de Cubas ,
who wanted to create a pantheon for the late Queen
Maria de la Mercedes . The foundation stone was laid in
1883 , but when Pope Leo XIII granted a bull in 1885 for
the creation of the Madrid - Alcalá bishopric , the plans
for the church were changed to become plans for a
cathedral .
Cubas began a new project , more ambitious than the
previous one , this time inspired by the French 18th
century Gothic , adding elements from the cathedrals of
Reims , Chartres , and León . The project , which was the
first to include a large Romanesque crypt , served as the
basis for the final construction . The Cathedral was
conceived as a votive temple erected by the people , but
the donations were insufficient and there were many
delays in carrying out the work . In 1899 , the Marquis of
Cubas died and Miguel Olabarría , Enrique Maria
Repullés , and Juan Moya were subsequently put in
charge of the project .
The crypt was opened in 1911 but work was suspended
during the Civil War and resumed with limited resources
in 1939 . After this , aesthetic criteria changed , and a
Gothic cathedral was no longer considered suitable
because of the contrast with its surroundings . In 1944 ,
the Directorate General for Fine Arts announced a
national contest to find a new architectural solution ;
Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro were the
winners . In 1950 work was restarted , the cloister being
finished in 1955 and the main façade in 1960 . The
cathedral was considered completed in 1993 . On June
15th , 1993 , it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on
his fourth trip to Spain .
It also has a museum that houses effigies of the city ’ s
patron saints : the Virgin Mary of la Almudena and San
Isidro Labrador , and has an exhibition of the life of the
Church through the seven sacraments .