Has the largest dome in all of Spain and the fourth in Europe and was declared a National Monument forty years ago. Neoclassical in style and relatively recently restored, it is now displayed more than ever in all its splendor. And that’s not all.
The Basilica of Saint Francis the Great It is not only a jewel for its architecture, but also for the treasures it keeps inside: canvases by Goya and Zurbarán of incalculable value.
But the curiosities of this majestic temple do not stop here. Its history is full of anecdotes that we review below.
A gift to Saint Francis of Assisi
Actually the Royal Basilica of San Francisco el Grande (which officially has the name of Our Lady of the Angels) he wake up in honor of San Francisco de Asís. The land on which it was built (located in the Plaza de San Francisco) was actually a gift to the saint as he passed through Madrid, when he made the Camino de Santiago (in 1214).
But the Basilica that we know today was not the first to be built on those grounds. Before this temple, they rose a hermitage and a convent (from which the Basilica starts), the Franciscan Convent of Jesus and Mary. The current temple is from the 18th century, and was built through the Franciscan order, between 1776 and 1784.
The person in charge of carrying out this majestic work was the famous architect from Palermo but with residence in Madrid and at the service of the Royal Family. Francisco Sabatini (Yes, the same one who was in charge of the Puerta de Alcalá, the Royal Palace, the Puerta de San Vicente or the Puerta Real of the Royal Botanical Garden, and the remodeling of the Plaza Mayor, among other works). He was the one who followed a first design of the friar Francisco Cabezas.
Saint Francis the Great has the largest dome in Spain and the fourth in Europe, after that of Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Pantheon in Rome, and that of Santa María de Fiore in Florence.
Its structure rises on a circular central plan, covered by a huge dome 33 meters in diameter and 58 meters high. It is the largest dome in all of Spain and the fourth in Europe, after the dome of San Pedro, the Pantheon (both in Rome) and the famous dome of the Basilica of Santa María de Fiore (in Florence).
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But this is not the only dome that San Francisco el Grande has. Along with a large chapel, the Basilica has with six more chapels, and each of them has a smaller dome.
His works of art and some more curiosities
But in addition to being a building that is already National Heritage, the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande has inside a rich gallery and valuable white marble sculptures.
The Basilica of San Francisco el Grande was declared a National Monument in 1980
Among its frescoes and canvases, there are works by such well-known authors as Goya, Zurbarán, Alonso Cano, Menéndez Pidal, Casto Plasencia or Lucas Jordán among others.
This temple has undergone several reforms and for different ‘uses’. Yes, it has not always been a church. With the Napoleonic invasion, the building was damaged and used as blocks for a time.
In 1836, it passed into the hands of the Spanish State and in 1838 it became the headquarters of the Infantry Barracks.
Between 1869 and 1874, it was used as National Panteon, taking there the remains of illustrious figures, such as Calderón de la Barca, Quevedo, Garcilaso de la Vega or Ventura Rodríguez, among others (remains that were later returned to their place of origin).
In 1879 the first reform of the building took place. Its interior was ‘beautified’ with murals by artists such as Salvador Martínez Cubells and Casto Plasencia, and sculptures such as those by Jerónimo Suñol or Mariano Benlliure.
Throughout the 20th century, numerous reforms have been carried out. Also at the beginning of the new century. The last one ended in 2006. Now is the time to take the opportunity and finally admire the Basilica from the outside and inside in all its splendor.
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