Thursday, January 12, 2012

Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena, Madrid

Madrid's cathedral, Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena, sits directly across a square (la Plaza de la Armeria) from the royal palace (Palacio Real).  Construction of the cathedral began in 1879, but it stopped during the civil war and didn't resume until 1950.  The building was completed and consecrated in 1993.  Its neoclassical exterior isn't exceptional compared to the other buildings in the city, and its interior was a little goofy (some strains of gothic revival, some ultra-modern touches that seemed very out of place for a cathedral).  BUT it's possible to get out onto the roof of the cathedral, and the views are terrific.

Here are a couple of pictures of the building's facade and three from the roof, one of which overlooks the Palacio Real.  I'll post some pictures of the interior later, as well as some photos of the sculptures adorning the roof, which I did like very much.







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