St. Maria de Almudena (Madrid's Cathedral)

In the area that originally was occupied by Madrid's first mosque now stands Madrid's Cathedral, which has a pretty recent story, since its construction started in 1883. In fact, only in 1868 the powerful Archbishop of Toledo gave permission to build a new church dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena and in 1884 pope Leo XIII created the diocese of Madrid, when the Cathedral's construction had just started. The works underwent a complete stop during the Civil War, and the Almudena Cathedral was completed only in 1993, Pope John Paul II consecrated it personally that same year. The Cathedral stands right next to the Royal Palace, and recently, in May 2004, the heir to the throne of Spain, Price Felipe, chose it for his marriage with Dona Letitia. Notwithstanding its poor historical significance, the Cathedral is worth a visit since it is in a certain sense unique: it measures 104 meters long, 76 meters wide and the diameter of the central dome measures 20 meters.

La Catedral de la Almudena
by Cenit

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