The Sistine Chapel of Madrid
I had never heard about Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes (the church of Saint Anthony of the Germans) before. Most people haven’t. Yet it was one of the most fascinating places we saw in Madrid.
The church was just a short walk from our hotel, not far from the Gran Via. Outside, it was a nondescript brick building that we might have walked past without a second glance.
We paid the modest (just 5€) admission fee, which included English audioguides. We stepped through the interior doors and WHOAAA! We were completely blown away.
The interior of the church was an oval with a domed ceiling. Except for the floor, EVERY INCH was covered with colorful frescoes! The painted figures were larger than life, and the detail was incredible. We sat quietly in a pew, turning our heads and craning our necks to take it all in. In my video, you can see other visitors doing the same.
The Baroque church was dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of the poor (and the saint Catholics pray to when they can’t find an item). It was built around 1620-30 along with a hospital for Portuguese immigrants. Later, it became a refuge for German immigrants, hence the name.
The audioguide was very helpful in explaining the frescoes.
On the ceiling, Saint Anthony is in heaven, extending his arms to the Child Jesus and the Virgin Mary
The upper part of the wall depicts eight of the miracles of Saint Anthony
The seated figures on the lower part of the wall are historical monarchs who became saints
The ceiling was painted by Italian artists Michelangelo Colonna and Agostino Mitelli. The wall was painted in stages by Luca Giordano (Italy), Juan Carreño de Miranda (Spain), and Francisco Rizi (Spain).
The church also had an ornate high altar and side chapels, but I honestly didn’t pay much attention to them because the frescoes were so amazing.
An aside: This little church was not in the “Top Things to Do” list on the usual travel websites (TripAdvisor, Rick Steves). I found it on Atlas Obscura, an awesome site that I highly recommend. If, like me, you enjoy discovering odd and/or lesser known places and things, be sure to check Atlas Obscura for ideas.
