Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes (Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes) description and photos - Spain: Madrid (Topic)

Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes (Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes) description and photos - Spain: Madrid. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes.

Photo and description

The Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes is located in the central area of Madrid. Its building was erected under the direction of architects Pedro Sanchez, Francisco Sesena and Juan Gomez de Mora between 1624 and 1633. This church has a rather interesting history. It was created as part of a Portuguese hospital founded in 1606 by King Philip III when Portugal was part of Spain. The church was originally called San Antonio de Padua (in honor of St. Anthony of Padua). In 1668, Portugal regained its independence and the church was transferred to the German Catholic community, who arrived in Madrid with Carlos II's fiancee Marianne Neuburg. At the same time, the church was renamed the Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes.

The church building is a prime example of Madrid's Baroque architecture. During its construction, relatively inexpensive materials were used - brick, plaster, wood. Despite the fact that the facade of the church looks simple and restrained, its interior is distinguished by unexpectedly bright, rich and rich decoration. The interior walls are decorated with beautiful floor-to-ceiling frescoes by Luca Giordano, the domes are decorated with frescoes by Juan Carreno de Miranda and Francisco Ricci. The altar of the church, created in the 18th century by the architect Miguel Fernandez, is decorated with magnificent sculptures by Francisco Gutierrez.

The remains of two Spanish princesses are kept in the church crypt - Berengaria of Castile and Aragon (1253-1300) and Constance of Castile (1308-1310), brought here in 1869 from the monastery of Santo Domingo El Real de Madrid.

We also recommend reading Sundarbans National Park description and photos - India

Topic: Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes (Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes) description and photos - Spain: Madrid.