Madrid · Spain
Almudena Cathedral
A practical guide to Almudena Cathedral in Madrid: free entry, the Neo-Romanesque crypt, the museum and dome, how much time to give it and how to fit it in after the Royal Palace.
Worth a 25- to 45-minute stop after the palace, especially for the crypt. Don't expect the patina of Toledo or Seville: it was finished in 1993.
Almudena Cathedral is Madrid’s cathedral, and it’s much younger than it looks: the first stone dates from 1883 and the consecration from 1993. Outside it’s Neoclassical, to match the Royal Palace across the way; inside it’s Neo-Gothic, with ceilings painted in bright colors; and underneath is a Neo-Romanesque crypt that many consider the best part of the visit.
Our experience
We went in on Saturday, May 23, at 12:05, after the guided tour of the Royal Palace. You just cross the Plaza de la Armería. We gave it about 25 minutes, between the nave and the crypt, because the cocido was booked at La Bola for 13:00, a few minutes’ walk away. We left out the museum and dome on purpose: €7 and a climb that didn’t fit the day. Our notes were clear about the priority: if time is short, the crypt before the nave. You can see how it fit in our day 14.
A bit of history
For centuries Madrid had no cathedral. Even after Philip II made it the capital in 1561, the diocese answered to Toledo. The idea was born of grief: in 1878 Queen María de las Mercedes died of typhoid at 18, five months after marrying Alfonso XII, and the king asked the Marquis of Cubas for a chapel to serve as her tomb. Cubas drew the plans in 1879 and the first stone was laid on April 4, 1883, on the site of a medieval mosque.
In 1885 Pope Leo XIII created the diocese of Madrid-Alcalá and the chapel became a cathedral project, modeled on Reims, Chartres and León. The crypt was finished first and opened in 1911. Then everything stalled: Cubas died in 1899 and the Civil War halted the work. It resumed in 1950 under Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro, who swapped the planned Gothic exterior for a Neoclassical one. John Paul II consecrated it on June 15, 1993, and on May 22, 2004, then-Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz were married here.
The name comes from the Arabic al-mudayna, the citadel, the walled enclosure of Muslim Madrid. According to legend, an image of the Virgin hidden in that wall reappeared when Alfonso VI took the city in the 11th century, as a section of the wall collapsed.
Good to know
If you’ve just seen Toledo or Seville, the Almudena may feel cold: the stone is pale and the paint is new. That’s the most common criticism. What almost everyone agrees on is the crypt, with its capitals carved one by one, and the price: entry is free. From here, Plaza de Oriente is around the corner.
What to see, in order
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The facade from the Plaza de la Armería
Neoclassical, with two square towers, designed in the 1950s to match the palace opposite.
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The Neo-Gothic nave
Three aisles with rib vaults 30 meters up. Look from the entrance toward the altar, then the other way, toward the rose window.
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Kiko Argüello's ceilings
Boldly colored paintings of the life of Christ, from 2004. Some find them alive; others find they clash with the Gothic.
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The stained glass
Modern windows that fill the nave with color. The best light is between 11:00 and 13:00.
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The Virgin of the Almudena
Behind the high altar, a 16th-century polychrome carving of Madrid's patron saint. It's small: get close.
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The crypt
A whole church beneath the cathedral, opened in 1911: five aisles, twenty chapels and more than 400 columns with different capitals, among them the bear and strawberry tree. Queen María de las Mercedes is buried here.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Go in through the Calle Bailén door, on the Plaza de la Armería side. At the museum entrance on Calle Mayor, some people claim that's the cathedral entrance and charge €7.
- Nobody sells "skip-the-line" tickets for the cathedral: it's free. The only paid part is the museum with the dome.
- The audio guide is free through the cathedral's Wi-Fi. Bring earbuds.
- If you hit a Mass, the nave closes to visitors. Have a plan B, like moving lunch up.
Do
- If you only have ten minutes, give them to the crypt.
- Cover your shoulders and take off your hat inside.
- Put your donation in the fixed boxes on the wall, not with someone holding a clipboard.
Don’t
- Don't pay for a "private bell tower climb": it doesn't exist. The only climb is the dome, included in the museum ticket.
- Don't eat at the tourist-menu places on Calle Mayor between the cathedral and Plaza Mayor.
- Don't let the costumed dancers and bullfighters in the plaza photograph you: afterward they ask for €5–10.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to enter Almudena Cathedral?
The cathedral and crypt are free, with a suggested €1 donation. The museum with the dome costs €7.
What are the Almudena's hours?
The cathedral is open daily from 9:00 to 20:30. The crypt, from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:00. The museum and dome, Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:30. It closes to visitors during Masses.
How much time do you need?
25 minutes for a quick look at the nave and crypt, 45 at an easy pace and up to an hour and a half with the museum and dome.
Is the crypt worth it?
Yes. It's the most interesting part of the complex, it's free and almost nobody goes down.
Why did it take so long to build?
The first stone was laid in 1883, work stalled with the architect's death and the Civil War, and it didn't resume until 1950. John Paul II consecrated it in 1993.