Almudena+Cathedral

=Almudena Cathedral=

The Almudena Cathedral, or the Santa Maria la Real de La Almudena, is a Catholic Cathedral in Madrid, Spain. The cathedral was supposed to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Almudena in the 16th century, but it didn't begin construction until 1879. It took such a long time to built because it was constantly put on hold due to many political issues and disagreements with the archbishop of Toledo. They did not get permission from Toledo to build it until 1868. The cathedral was actually built over Madrid's first mosque, which was then destroyed.

The Cathedral was built in Gothic Revival style directed by Francisco de Cubas. The construction was halted again at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s and was not picked up again until 1944. But later in 1950, Fernando Chueca Goitia took over construction and designed the rest of the Cathedral to match the Palacio Real opposite the Cathedral.Key things to see in this cathedral are the stained glass art windows that are very poppy and stand out and the bright colors within the interior of the church. There is also a central dome inside the cathedral. It has a very unique design and also many modern trends.

The Cathedral was finally completed in 1993 and was consecrated by Pope John Paul II. Since this was such a rare occasion, they constructed a statue of Pope John Paul II to honor him. Also, in 2004 there was the wedding of the Prince of Asturias and his fiance.