Description of the attraction
In the La Latina area, which is located in the center of Madrid, near the Royal Palace, there is the Royal Cathedral of St. Francis the Great. The cathedral was erected in 1760 after the corresponding decree of the King of Spain Carlos III. Once on the site where the Royal Cathedral is today, there was a Franciscan monastery, founded in 1217 by Saint Francis.
The cathedral was built under the direction of the famous architects Francisco Cabezas, Antonio Plo and Francesco Sabatini. The building is designed in the neoclassical style. In terms of plan, the cathedral has a round shape and is crowned with a huge dome, the height of which is 58 meters, and the diameter reaches 33 meters. It is the largest church dome in Spain and one of the largest in Europe. Solid walnut was used to create the main carved doors of the cathedral.
The cathedral has three chapels, the premises of which are decorated with the finest paintings, among which there are canvases by such outstanding Spanish masters of painting as Francisco Goya ("Self-portrait" and others) and Zurbaran.
Today the Royal Cathedral of St. Francis belongs to the Franciscan order. Currently, the cathedral is used as a national pantheon - many national Spanish politicians, public figures, artists and other important persons are buried here.
Over the past thirty years, restoration work has been carried out in the cathedral.
The Royal Cathedral of St. Francis the Great is recognized as one of the most beautiful churches in Spain.
