Route to the religious museums of the Region of Madrid

MADRID, CAPITAL OF THE AUSTRIAS

Museum of the Descalzas Reales Convent [+]

The old palace of Don Alonso Gutiérrez was transformed into a convent of the order of St. Clare in 1566, thanks to an initiative by Doña Juana de Austria. The façade of the convent church is the work of Juan Bautista de Toledo. Inside you can see the sepulchre of its founder, the work of Pompeo Leoni.

In the museum, special mention should be made of the collection of 17th century Flemish, Italian and Spanish paintings. The sumptuous palace staircase, decorated with frescos said to be the work of Antonio de Pereda, provides access to the upper cloister, which opens on to numerous chapels. There is a magnificent collection of tapestries, belonging to the "Triumph of the Eucharist" series, produced following cartoons by Rubens. The museum also has a valuable array of sculptures.

Museum of the La Encarnación Monastery [+]

The architecture of this closed Augustine convent, founded in 1611 by Margarita de Austria, ended up marking a new trend that came to be called Madrid Baroque. The interior of the church is decorated with frescos painted by the brothers González Velásquez and Francisco Bayeu in the 18th century. Special mention should be made of the large painting that presides over the main altar, work of Vicente Carducho. The museum has a magnificent collection of 17th century Spanish paintings. One of the best-known and most representative rooms is the reliquary. It is home to seven hundred pieces, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, and is considered one of the most important in the world. The relic of San Pantaleón, which conserves his coagulated blood, becomes a news story on 27 July each year, when the phenomenon of the liquefaction takes place.

ALCALA DE HENARES, LAND OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF TOLEDO

Leaving Madrid, the landscape is no longer as it was when the poets of the Generation of ’27 used to escape to the old university town. Today, we pass villages transformed by the effects of economic development, but there are still traces of times when things went more slowly and discretely. Passing the 18th century San Fernando bridge over the Jarama River, we get to the proud, erudite town of Alcalá de Henares in no time at all.

It was called Complutum by the Romans, and Alcalá by Moors and Christians. Pampered by its masters, the archbishops of Toledo, it became an exemplary, reformist university in the 16th century, thanks to Cardinal Cisneros. Its religious heritage, made prestigious by the title of World Heritage City, conserves an important record of its magnificent past. Perhaps a good idea would be to start by visiting the San Felipe Neri Oratory Museum, which has an interesting collection of works of art dating from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Museum of the San Bernardo Cistercian Monastery

Building of this old Cistercian monastery began in 1618. It was founded by the Archbishop of Toledo, Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas, who charged Juan Gómez de Mora with its design. The church has an oval floor plan, and is the best Spanish example of the styles developed by Vignola in 16th century Italy. The interior has a magnificent collection of paintings by Angelo Nardi and a niche altarpiece by Francisco Bautista. The museum is located in the rooms used by the court of the archbishops of Toledo. Over its seven rooms and its corridor, the old world of the monastery opens up to us through examples of living cells and monastery cooking. The silver chest of Emperor Charles V, the archbishop’s chair, a gift of the founder himself, religious robes, paintings and other artistic items recreate the atmosphere of the 17th century.

Museum of the Magisterial Cathedral of Alcalá de Henares [+]

The Magisterial Cathedral is built on the site of the martyrdom of Justo and Pastor in the year 305. The current building goes back to the reconstruction ordered by Cardinal Cisneros, which began in 1497. Its Gothic lines were designed by architects Antón and Enrique Egas, while its tower, added some time later, is the work of Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón.

The museum occupies what were once the chapter house and its antechamber, and the 17th century cloister. It contains a magnificent collection of precious metalwork, and mention should be made of paintings such as the Flemish triptych on the theme of the Epiphany. Fabrics, religious objects and documents complete the collection. In the museum, part of the old Renaissance staircase from the Archiepiscopal Palace of Alcalá de Henares has been restored and recreated, and the gothic tomb of Archbishop Carrillo de Acuña of Toledo can also be seen.

THE ORIGINS OF CARDINAL CISNEROS

Torrelaguna [+]

It had the honour of witnessing the birth of Cardinal Cisneros. For his part, Cisneros wanted to honour his birthplace with riches and buildings that make this village an admirable historic-artistic site to this day.

Its Plaza Mayor Square is home to one of the most beautiful buildings in the Region of Madrid: the Church of Santa María Magdalena. This is a work in Gothic style of incalculable artistic value. Although it is not technically a cathedral, it would be well worthy of the title. The building is a real museum in itself, and the church, as well as its adjacent buildings, are home to a magnificent collection of works of art from the 14th to 18th centuries.