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La Almudena Cathedral, Madrid

10 Calle de Bailén, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid

Description

Almudena Cathedral (Santa María la Real de La Almudena - named after the Virgin of Almudena) has a fairly recent history; its construction started in 1879 in Gothic revival style but was then interrupted during the Spanish Civil War before resuming in the 1960's and being consecrated in 1993 by Almudena Cathedral (Santa María la Real de La Almudena). The interior art and decoration are unusually modern. The rationale behind the construction of the Catedral is that after the capital of Spain moved to Toledo in 1561, the seat of the catholic church remained there and Madrid didn't have a Cathedral.

Access & Transport

Walking distance from Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and located just south of Madrid's Royal Palace. The Palacio Real bus stop is next to the church entrance on Calle de Bailén and Ópera metro station (2, 5) is 500m away.

Instructions & Recommendations

The suggested donation at the entrance is 1€ per person. There is also a museum with a separate entrance fee. Link to the timing os religious services: https://catedraldelaalmudena.es/horarios-y-tarifas/ This activity is well combined with the Royal Palace & Gardens, the Plaza Mayor and the neighbourhood of La Latina.

Meta review

Online reviews for the Cathedral are mixed. A majority of visitors state that they enjoyed the mix of classic and modern art decorations, the chapels and the colourful ceilings. However, there is a significant minority who thought that although the size was impressive it was not aesthetically pleasing. Clearly some personal taste involved here.

Environmental & Social

We deem this activity environmentally neutral. Socially, this helps preserve the city's architectural heritage.

Conclusion

La Almudena Cathedral is structurally truly impressive and its colour scheme, although unusual for a church, matches that of the Royal Palace rather well (no coincidence there). If you aren't particularly into churches, this monument lacks the art content and history to make it a real draw; but if you are then it is certainly worth a visit - you may or may not like it, difficult to predict.

Key positive

Located next to the Royal Palace

Key negative

The art and ornamentation will not be to everybody's liking

Suitability

No religious denomination restrictions. Accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 20m

est. visit time:1h

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Jul, 01

Season 1

MONDAY10:00 - 21:00

TUESDAY10:00 - 21:00

WEDNESDAY10:00 - 21:00

THURSDAY10:00 - 21:00

FRIDAY10:00 - 21:00

SATURDAY10:00 - 21:00

SUNDAY10:00 - 21:00

Start of Season 2:Sep, 01

Season 2

MONDAY10:00 - 20:00

TUESDAY10:00 - 20:00

WEDNESDAY10:00 - 20:00

THURSDAY10:00 - 20:00

FRIDAY10:00 - 20:00

SATURDAY10:00 - 20:00

SUNDAY10:00 - 20:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
€1
Adult
12 - 64
€1
Child
3 - 11
€0
Infant
0 - 2
€0
The suggested donation is 1€ to be directed towards maintenance of the church is reflected here

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