And I am back at you with my Madrid, and updating this post which surprise many folks coming to one of the world’s best museum missed it! One monument that needs to be seen there is the Royal Parish Church of Saint Jerome or the Parroquia Iglésia de San Jeronimo el Real right next to the Prado museum! notice it! Well I have and been in it but seldom took as many pictures than on this trip,(picture below is from the Prado!) memories forever in my beloved Madrid.
The old monastery of San Jerónimo el Real, popularly known as “Los Jerónimos”, was one of the most important monasteries in Madrid, originally governed by the Order of San Jerónimo. Next to it there was the so-called Royal Quarter, then expanded as Palace of Buen Retiro in the time of Felipe IV. The church currently remains, converted into a parish Church of San Jeronimo (St. Jerome), and a Renaissance cloister. Church and convent were closely linked to the life of the Court and the Spanish monarchy. The temple was a frequent scene of funerals, oaths of heirs, weddings and royal proclamations, the last of these being that of King Juan Carlos I.
This is the only gothic building in Madrid!. It is a late Gothic with Renaissance influences and reminiscences of Madrid architecture, which can be seen in its facade in which stone and brick are mixed. Inside you will see its Elizabethan Gothic choir, which you will recognize because it is supported by a carpanel arch. The Jerónimos have undergone several modifications since their original construction in 1502, the church we see today is mostly from the 19C, when the facade and the twin towers that frame the main chapel were rebuilt. However, the Gothic style has been preserved and can be seen in the towers, in the buttresses and in the buttresses finished off pinnacles, among others. On each side we find five chapels, which were the object of the restoration that took place in the 19C. And its great staircase is even more recent, as it was built at the beginning of the 20C. The interior shows us something dark, especially in the area of the main altar. Its greatest artistic attraction is in the decoration of the aforementioned central nave.
It is found right next to the Prado museum the best way to walk to it is from the Paseo del Prado up to Calle Moreto 4. Metro lines Atocha, Antón Martín, line 1 and Banco de España line 2. See it!
A bit of history I like
Although king Enrique IV of Castilla had previously ordered to build another monastery of Jeronimos on the banks of the Manzanares River in 1463, and shortly thereafter, in 1470 he had given the congregation of privileges to collect taxes, it is something later, at the end of the 15C, when the Catholic Monarchs ordered the construction in Madrid of a monastery of Jeronimos monks that would serve as a room for the Royal Family during their stays in the town. This Monasterio de San Jeronimo El Real (Royal monastery of St Jerome) was made in late Gothic style with Renaissance influences. In 1510 Fernando I, the Catholic has meetings of the Cortes in the temple and in 1528,the courts of Castile convened in Madrid in the monastery of San Jeronimo by Carlos I, Felipe de Habsburg Prince of Asturias was declared there, and was sworn as heir and successor of the kingdom of Castile, a tradition that will remain until that of Isabel II, in 1833. The monastery and the annexed palace lived its time of greatest splendor during the reign of Felipe IV, which made the complex the center of courtly life. In the temple the oath took place as heir to the kingdom of Castile of the ill-fated Prince Baltasar Carlos of Austria.
During the Napoleonic invasion of 1808 (known here as the War of Independence of Spain or peninsular war elsewhere), the monastery and the Palace of Buen Retiro were severely damaged by the invading army. As a result of this and in an effort to maintain what was left, Fernando VII turns the monastery into an artillery barracks. Years later, under queen Isabel II, the restoration of the church is ordered and the result of which are the towers of its heading, which flank the apse. The palatial complex of Buen Retiro was worse off: it suffered such damage that it was demolished, with the exception of the Casón del Buen Retiro and the Salon de Reinos (kingdom hall). (see posts).
In San Jerónimo the marriage bond was celebrated between King Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg on May 31, 1906. On November 27, 1975, Cardinal Vicente Enrique y Tarancón presided over the votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, at the beginning of the reign by king Juan Carlos I. In the early 20C, and as a result of the agreement to transfer the cloister of the monastery to the Prado Museum, the church was completely restored, both internally and externally.
When considering the necessary extension of the neighboring Prado Museum, the Ministry of Culture rejected several options and chose as the most feasible and least traumatic to extend the spaces of the gallery to the Jerónimos. The site of the cloister was recovered, which was connected to the main body of the museum underground. Once the work was finished, the cloister maintains its inner courtyard, with its original arches and columns, and recovers its outer volume in the form of a cube, to which it owes its popular name. Red brick was used for the facades, so that they blend better with the surrounding buildings. Inside, the most innovative element is a skylight that crosses the building, from the cloister to the underground floors dedicated to exhibitions. The bronze doors that connect the cloister building with the Calle Ruiz de Alarcón street have also received praise. In all a wonderful parish Church!
This is one that needs to be seen yet so close and intertwined with the Prado museum often overlook by visitors, it can be even call an off the beaten path site in my Madrid, but a must to see I repeat! San Jéronimo el Real be there!
Some webpages to help you plan your trip here are:
The official Parish Church San Jéronimo el Real of Madrid: https://www.parroquiasanjeronimoelreal.es/
The Madrid tourist office on the Parish Church San Jéronimo el Real of Madrid: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/iglesia-parroquial-de-san-jeronimo-el-real
The Comunidad de Madrid tourist office on the Parish Church San Jéronimo el Real of Madrid: https://www.turismomadrid.es/es/descubre/madrid/de-inter%C3%A9s/5107-iglesia-de-los-jeronimos.html
Again, this is a dandy beautiful historical architecturally nice , a must to see in Madrid. Again, so close to the Prado yet so far for most; need to see my Madrid. I recommend seeing the Parish Church San Jéronimo el Real of Madrid!
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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