St. Michael's Basilica (Madrid)

Pontifical Basilica of St. Michael
Basílica Pontificia de San Miguel (Spanish)

Façade of the basilica
Basic information
Location Madrid, Spain
Geographic coordinates 40°24′51.46″N 3°42′34.73″W / 40.4142944°N 3.7096472°W / 40.4142944; -3.7096472Coordinates: 40°24′51.46″N 3°42′34.73″W / 40.4142944°N 3.7096472°W / 40.4142944; -3.7096472
Affiliation Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Minor basilica
Heritage designation Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain)
Leadership Mons. Renzo Fratini
Website www.bsmiguel.es
Architectural description
Architect(s) Santiago Bonavía
Architectural type Church
Architectural style Baroque
Groundbreaking 1739
Completed 1745
Construction cost 1 421 000 reales
Specifications
Direction of façade S
Length 50 metres (160 ft)
Width 27 metres (89 ft)
Width (nave) 14 metres (46 ft)
St. Michael's Basilica
Native name
Spanish: Basílica de San Miguel
Location Madrid, Spain
Official name: Basílica de San Miguel
Type Non-movable
Criteria Monument
Designated 1985
Reference no. RI-51-0005004

The Pontifical Basilica of St. Michael (Spanish: Basílica Pontificia de San Miguel) is a baroque Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in central Madrid, Spain. It is located in San Justo Street, adjacent to the Archbishop's Palace. It is the church of the Apostolic Nunciature to the Kingdom of Spain of the Holy See and is now administrated by the priests of Opus Dei.

History

Construction began in 1739, on the site of the parish church of Sts. Justus and Pastor. The work was commissioned by Cardinal Infante Luis of Chinchón, Archbishop of Toledo, who subsidized construction with 1,421,000 reales. Construction was completed in 1745.

After the Napoleonic invasion, the church added the advocacy of Saint Michael (San Miguel), when the nearby parish church of San Miguel de los Octoes was torn down.

The original plans have been attributed to Santiago Bonavía, with perhaps an earlier contribution of Teodoro Ardemans. It was completed by Vigilio Rabaglio to Gandria. On the facade, the allegorical statues of charity, faith, hope, and fortitude were sculpted by Roberto Michel and Nicolás Caresana, adornan los dos cuerpos superiores. A panel by Caresana, on the facade depicts the martyrdom of Santos Justo y Pastor. The cupola is decorated with frescos (1745), by Bartolomé Rusca, depicting the apotheosis of Santos Justo y Pastor.

Interior

Among the wood sculptures housed in the interior is the "Cristo de la Fe y del Perdón", by Luis Salvador Carmona.

Burials

The Italian composer Luigi Boccherini, who died in Madrid, was buried here until 1927, when Benito Mussolini repatriated the remains to the church of San Francesco of his native town Lucca.

See also

References

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