About Almudena Cathedral
Although the Almudena Cathedral is not the most impressive cathedral of Spain, it is almost a miracle that the building is still standing.
For Centuries the church and state could not agree on Madrid having a cathedral. When they had reached consensus and construction started, it took 110 years to complete.
In 1883 work began on the neo-Gothic design of the architect Marques de Cubas, but this attempt was never completed. Another architect Fernando Chueca Goitia, took over in 1944 the project itself, and introduced a neo-classical style.
Although the cathedral did not get many supporters, the building was completed in 1993 and was visited by the Pope.
The place where the church stands, was formerly given to the Mosque of Santa María de la Almudena. This was a main mosque of the Islamic Madrid until the mosque was brought down by liberal reformers in 1870.
You can view several interesting works of art in the church, one of the more interesting pieces is the 13th-century polychrome funerary chest of San Isidro.
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