Description of the attraction
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 Sánchez, Francisco Seseña 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 fiancée 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 Carreño 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 church crypt contains the remains of two Spanish princesses - Berengaria of Castile and Aragon (1253-1300) and Constance of Castile (1308-1310), transported here in 1869 from the monastery of Santo Domingo El Real de Madrid.
