- Address: Calle de La Puebla, 20, 28004, Madrid
- Phone: +34 (91) 5223774 or +34 (91) 5220070
- Website: http://www.realhermandaddelrefugio.org/
- Architects: Pedro Sanchez, Francisco Sesenya and Juan Gomez de Mora
The small baroque church of San Antonio de los Alemanes is located in the center of Madrid . The church is the burial place of two Spanish infantry - Berengaria of Castile and Aragon and Constance of Castile.
History of construction
It was built as part of the Portuguese hospital; construction began in 1623 and ended in 1634. The hospital itself was founded in 1606. The church was then named after Antony of Padua. But after Portugal gained independence (before that it was part of Spain), the temple was handed over to the German community.
Exterior of the church
The facade of the church is made of bricks and looks very laconic. The decoration of the facade is a statue in the style of Herrera (Spanish baroque), depicting St. Anthony. The church is equipped with an octagonal spire made of wood and mortar for plastering. According to the architectural form of the temple and its appearance it is clear that not too much money was invested in the construction for economic reasons. But the interior of the temple demonstrates that much more was spent on it.
Interior of the church
Despite the fact that the facade of the temple looks rather ascetic, its interior is striking in its refinement and luxury. The walls are painted with frescoes from floor to ceiling, in Madrid, perhaps, there is no more church, painted so "tightly". The author of the wall murals is Luca Giordano. Here are some of the miracles performed by the saints, including the miracle of the healing of the flesh. His hands also belong to portraits of holy kings - Louis IX of France, St. Stephen of Hungary, Emperor Henry of Germany and others. There are portraits of the kings and queens of Spain - Philip III and Philip V, Maria Anna Neuburg and Maria Louise of Savoy. These portraits in oval baroque frames are located in the altar niches, they belong to the brush of Nicola de la Quadra and were created in 1702. The author of other portraits is Francisco Ignacio Ruiz (including that his portrait belongs to the portrait of Marianne of Austria).
The picture on the dome itself is dedicated to the ascension of Saint Antonio to heaven; its author is Juan Careno de Mirando. On the lower ring of the dome are portrayed other Portuguese saints - these are the works of Francisco Ricci's brush; His work is also on the gables, and on the columns.
In the church there are 6 altars, all of them are made by different artists. On the right is the altar of the authorship of Luca Giordano, dedicated to Calvary. The altar, dedicated to Santa Engrasia, is decorated with paintings by Eugenio Kaghes. The central altar of the church was created in the 18th century; his author is Miguel Fernandez, and his sculptures of the cutter Francisco Gutierrez are adorned.
The decoration of the church is also a statue depicting St. Anthony with a child, and a bronze statue of Saint Pedro Poveda, located in the crypt, where the Spanish princesses are buried.
The combination of architectural elements, sculpture and painting is an example of baroque illusionism.
How and when to visit San Antonio de los Alemanes?
The temple can be viewed all days of the week from 10.30 to 14.00, but in August it hosts religious celebrations and visits to the church by tourists are somewhat limited. A visit to the church is free of charge. To get there, you need to use public transport , such as the subway (line L1 or L5) or bus (routes Nos. 1, 2, 44, 46, 74, 75, 133, 146, 147, 148). Also in Madrid you can rent a car .
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