This is Madrid as close as you can get, have been inside several times but many years ago, finally got around to show my young men the heritage , architecture and history of my dear Madrid . I will tell you again with older new pictures to my blog on this Patron Saint of Madrid , San Isidro and this is his home. I like to tell you about a place you need to come if really want to know Madrid, the Colegiata de San Isidro of Madrid ,part II !!! or Collegiale of Saint Isidore. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Colegiata de San Isidro or Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidro located in the historic center at Calle de Toledo no 37 . It was the provisional cathedral of this city until 1993, the year in which the Almudena Cathedral (see post) opened its doors. The building was built in the 17C as a church of the former Imperial College of the Society of Jesus, which is attached to the building. In it, the mortal remains of San Isidro, patron of Madrid, and his wife, Santa María de la Cabeza, are kept.
The Collegiate Church of San Isidrois one of the most representative religious architecture in Madrid of the 17C. It was built in Baroque style by Jesuit architects, who followed the model defined in the Church of the Gesù, in Rome. Its single-nave Latin cross plan, with side chapels, cruise and dome, denotes this influence. The main facade, which overlooks Calle de Toledo, stands out for its monumental air with palatial reminiscences. Made of granite, it integrates a central body of four Corinthian columns, chaired by a sculptural group with the effigies of San Isidro and his wife Santa Maria de la Cabeza.
On the nave the dome rises, is the first example of a boxed dome, a type of false dome drawn on a wooden frame covered with plaster, which, given its lightness, facilitates its support on walls of small thickness. The interior of the church rich in works of art, lost much of them in the fire of the early 20C (Spanish Civil War by Republicans). However, the sarcophagus was saved with the relics of San Isidro, which is guarded in the main altarpiece, and some paintings and sculptures; thus, an excellent altarpiece chaired by La Sagrada Familia(Holy Family), also called Las dos Trinidades (two trinitaires) , in the Pilar chapel; or several paintings by the baroque, among them the one that represents the conversion of San Francisco de Borja, in the altarpiece of the left arm of the nave. The pulpit is also interesting, made in a combination of polychrome marbles. The great main altarpiece, which is in Neoclassical style, was grazed by the fire and replaced after the Spanish Civil War with an exact copy; In its central part it houses two sarcophagi that contain the relics of the patron Saint of Madrid and his wife, also a Saint.
The official Congregation of Saint Isidro of Madrid: https://www.congregacionsanisidro.org/
The Madrid tourist office on the Collegiate Church of San Isidro : https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/colegiata-de-san-isidro
There you go folks, you should stop by when in Madrid, a must to know its history and tradition,great areas to see around worth the detour, me think. The Colegiata de San Isidro of Madrid ,part II !!! Hope you enjoy it as I,
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 