Photos

The principle church of the Diocese of Madrid, the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena, is a relatively modern building, started in 1883 and not completed until 1993. when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II
Remarkable as it may seem, the delay until such recent times in the building of a cathedral in the capital can largely be attributed to the fact that Madrid was part of the Archdiocese of Toledo, which was reluctant to relinquish it. When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo; so the new capital – unusually for a Catholic country – had no cathedral.
Unusually for a church, it is not oriented east and west, but has its orientation north and south, as it was originally conceived as an integral part of the Royal Palace complex. A second entrance, in the Calle Bailén, has impressive bronze doors by the sculptor Sanguino, depicting the discovery of the image of the Virgin.
On May 22, 2004, the marriage of Felipe, Prince of Asturias to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (known thereafter as Letizia, Princess of Asturias) took place at the cathedral.
The Gates visible in the forefront are the gates of the Palacio Real de Madrid - the Royal Palace that stands just opposite this cathedral. I am standing on Plaza de la Armería - The square that was laid on 1892.