Iglesias de Madrid

What secrets does Madrid's oldest church, San Nicolás de los Servitas, hold, whose 12th-century Mudejar tower could have been a minaret? Why was the Almudena Cathedral, now so recognizable in the capital's landscape, not consecrated until 1993? Every temple in Madrid holds a world within it. The remains of Goya rest in the chapel of San Antonio de la Florida, under the same dome that he himself painted. In San Sebastián, in the heart of the Barrio de las Letras, Tirso de Molina was baptized, Lope de Vega was married, and Cervantes' funeral was held. And in the Collegiate Church of San Isidro lie the remains of the patron saint of Madrid, alongside those of his wife, Santa María de la Cabeza. This book is much more than a guide: it is an invitation to explore Madrid's churches as authentic treasure troves of history and art. Theologian Manuel Crespo Ortega rigorously and accessibly details the richness of their Baroque altarpieces, hidden frescoes, chapels that house prodigious images, and popular devotions that continue to mark the life of the neighborhoods, such as the Virgen de la Paloma or Jesús el Pobre. Organized by area to facilitate visits, readers will find practical and inspiring information in these pages for discovering the most emblematic and hidden churches on foot. A different view of the capital, where every stone and every altar tells a story.