I take you back to my dear Madrid again !! love it !! Needless to repeat we have been here many many times over the years and I lived, However, there is always gems to find in the city and I am glad to have found me these pictures in my cd rom vault to show in my blog for you and me, As always a thrill as usual to tell you more of Madrid, Therefore, let me give you my take on the Ermita de Santa Maria la Antigua of Madrid !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Ermita de Santa María la Antigua, aka the Hermitage of Our Lady of La Antigua is located in the Carabanchel district of Madrid. The hermitage has a rectangular floor plan and measures 12.20 meters long and 9.85 meters wide. It has three naves, although it is possible that it originally consisted of only one and that the two side naves were added later. Of its original 13C design, the apse, the tower, and the south wall, where the entrance is located, are well preserved.
The chancel in most medieval religious temples comprises a semicircular apse with a quarter-sphere vault. This connects to the main body of the church via a rectangular section in the presbytery, wider than the apse and covered with a barrel vault. The exterior of the apse has few decorative elements. In its center, a window with a pointed horseshoe arch opens, typical of Toledo style. The main body of the church is identical in construction to the chancel, with the exception of the sacristy and a house attached to the east wall, probably added during the 17C.
One of the most unique features of the complex is its tower, given its small rectangular footprint. It measures 5.70 meters long, 2.25 m wide, and 20 meters high. The upper section of the second level has six openings ,two on each long side and one on each wide side, housing two bells cast in the first half of the 20C. Originally, the tower lacked a staircase. The one currently located on its north face is the result of a later renovation.
The ornamental elements are concentrated primarily inside, where remnants of medieval paintings can be found. The wooden structure located next to the west wall is particularly noteworthy, featuring paintings depicting the life of San Isidro, as well as various geometric motifs, predominantly in red and black. A tempera painting of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Castile is also preserved. In 2020, during a restoration, paintings depicting the life of Mary Magdalene, dating from the 15C, were also discovered.
A bit of history I like tell us that the Hermitage of Santa María la Antigua is located between the site of the former Carabanchel prison and the old Carabanchel Bajo cemetery. It was built in the Romanesque-Mudéjar style in the 13C, although it incorporates some 12C elements and retains its original medieval structure in excellent condition. It is of extraordinary value, as it is the oldest Mudéjar church in the entire Community of Madrid, and the only one that remains complete. The first written references to the hermitage appear in the 13C. At that time, it served as the parish church of Carabanchel, dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. In the 17C, the church underwent improvements, expansion, and renovation in preparation for the canonization of San Isidro (patron Saint of Madrid) in 1622. In 1860, it became the site of the funeral of María Francisca Palafox Portocarrero y Kirkpatrick, Duchess of Alba and sister of Empress Eugénie de Montijo.(of France wife of Napoléon III), She was buried there at the express wish of her friend José Osorio y Silva, Duke of Sesto and Marquis of Alcañices, who was then Mayor of Madrid. She was buried there and later moved to the family pantheon in the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception in Loeches. It should be noted that this small church, dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene, is associated with San Isidro Labrador or the Farmer because, according to tradition, this is the place where the saint went to pray and water his oxen. It is in this place that the saint is said to have performed some of his miracles, and for this reason, after the canonization of San Isidro (Saint Isidore) in 1622, it became a place of pilgrimage.
The Madrid tourist office on the Ermita de Santa Maria la Antigua : https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/ermita-santa-maria-antigua
The Fundacion de Cultura Islamica or Islamic cultural foundation of Spain on the Ermita de Santa Maria la Antigua : https://funci.org/inventario/ermita-de-santa-maria-la-antigua-carabanchel/
There you go folks , another wonderful nostalgic, sentimental side of my dear Madrid , always nostalgic sentimental words cannot describe it! This is a vibrant cosmopolitan city of friendly faces and smiles to share in long conversations about life and more; I love it, We will be back ,eventually!, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Ermita de Santa Maria la Antigua of Madrid !! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
