This of course, is a must to visit in my dear Madrid, I come to the wonderful awesome Cathedral of the Almudena. Again I have found older new pictures to the blog that should be in, me think. Therefore, here is me again, on the Catedral de Santa Maria Real de la Almudena , See my other posts on it ,and hope you enjoy this post as well as I.
The Cathedral de la Almudena was built opposite the Palacio Real (see post) as an old church Santa Maria during the 12C. It is the episcopal seat of the diocese of the City, and it is 102 meters long and 73 meters high built on a mixture of different styles: neoclassical outside, neo-Gothic inside and neo-Romanesque in the crypt. It was begun to be built in 1883 and was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on his fourth trip to Spain on June 15, 1993. It is the only Spanish Cathedral dedicated by a Pope. The main façade overlooks Plaza de la Armería, facing the Royal Palace. You can access the crypt from Calle Mayor, A complete visit to the Almudena Cathedral is divided into three phases: Interior of the temple, Museum and dome, and the Crypt. Unlike most cathedrals, whose traditional orientation is East-West, that of the Almudena presents a North-South orientation. This is due to the fact that from its origins it was projected as an integral part of the Palacio Real or Royal Palace complex. In fact, its main façade looks towards the south façade of the Palace. This façade exhibits a large portico with columns on the access floor and on the first, where there is a balcony. Two towers guard the entrance. The main door, which is opened only in extraordinary events, is made of bronze and of great dimensions. Various sculptures and allegorical shields adorn the entire façade.
Its main element is the dome, which is double; Gothic view from the inside, but from the outside with Baroque reminiscences. It features an octagonal barrel in which four large thermal holes and a small flashlight as an open shot. The roof is dark slate. By way of pinnacles, twelve statues representing the apostles. The main façade, to the Plaza de la Armería, is located at the foot of the temple, facing the south side of the Royal Palace. It consists of a large double-column portico, with the lower story of Tuscan inspiration and the upper Ionic one. All this neoclassical was crowned after the consecration of the Cathedral by a baroque niche, which housed an image of the Virgen de la Almudena. On the balcony, a window of 10 m2 that represents the Virgen de Lis. And four statues representing the four evangelists. There are two large shields,located in the lower part, they are made of stone: they represent the complete arms of the Spanish Royal House and protect the pope who consecrated the cathedral, John Paul II. At the ends of the façade, in two niches, there are bronze statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul finishing off the niches, two reliefs, the delivery of the keys to Saint Peter and the conversion of Saint Paul. The doors are bronze. The center has ornaments with the Trinitarian theme; one of the sides refers to the monarchy of Spain; The other is dedicated to Latin America. Of the two towers on the façade, the right is known as “Mariana” or “Gallega”, since the bells were donated by Galicians and each one has a traditional Marian devotion: Santa María la Real Almudena; Santa Maria de la Paloma; Santa María de Atocha and Santa María de la Flor de Lis.
The interior of the Cathedral de La Almudena is surprising for having completely different details from other cathedrals: the ceiling and stained glass windows leave aside the classical style to give way to bright colors and straight lines. The most visited elements are usually the altar of Santa María la Real de la Almudena, the surprising altarpiece in which the Virgin is placed, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and the Chapel dedicated to San Isidro Labrador and his wife Santa María de la Cabeza located in the center of the dome. Outside the dome, you can enjoy an excellent panoramic view, with 360 degree vision, of all of Madrid. The Casa de Campo, the mountains, the entire flat part of the south, the roofs of the center of Madrid. Everything is seen with a privileged perspective. Without a doubt, it is one of the best viewpoints in Madrid.
You can get there on foot as we do from anywhere in Madrid or take it easy on the metro Opéra lines 2 and 5 as well as bus lines 3, 25, 39 ; and 148. It is open Mondays to Sundays from 9h to 20h30. The museum and dome is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10h to 14h30. Admission to the Cathedral is free and to the museum and dome is 6€.
The official Catedral de la Almudena : https://catedraldelaalmudena.es/
The Madrid tourist office on the Cathedral : https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/catedral-de-la-almudena
There you go folks , another jewel in my dear Madrid and you should see it too ! Wonderful area, full of architecture and history , a must to see the Catedral de la Almudena. Again, hope you enjoy it as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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