Almudena Cathedral
Chapter 5/11 · Madrid
In front of you is the Almudena Cathedral, dedicated to the patron saint of Madrid. Its name comes from the Arabic al-mudayna, meaning citadel. It is said that when Alfonso VI conquered the city, an image of the Virgin hidden centuries earlier appeared when part of the wall collapsed, still lit by its candles; a niche on the outside of the cathedral marks the spot.
King Alfonso XII laid the foundation stone on 4 April 1883, with a Neo-Gothic design by the Marquis of Cubas. The Neo-Romanesque crypt opened in 1911, but work progressed very slowly. It resumed in 1950 with a project by Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro, which gave the exterior a Neoclassical look to match the Royal Palace, while the interior remained Neo-Gothic.
More than a century after the first stone, Pope John Paul II consecrated it on 15 June 1993. And on 22 May 2004 it hosted the wedding of the then Prince Felipe, now King Felipe VI, and Letizia Ortiz.
Now we walk a few steps north along Calle de Bailén to the entrance of the Royal Palace, next to the Plaza de la Armería.
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