Saint Anthony of the Germans ( es, San Antonio de los Alemanes) is a Baroque,

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

church located at the corner of Calle de la Puebla and Corredera Baja de San Pablo

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is noted for its baroque interior decoration. It was declared ''

Bien de Interés Cultural A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" (" goods" in the economic sense) and incl ...

'' in 1973.

History

The 17th-century church is built in the Baroque style and was designed by Pedro Sánchez. The highly decorative High Altar and three side altars belong to the 18th century and were commissioned by the last Habsburg kings of Spain. The church was built in the 1620s-1630s by King Felipe III along with a hostel and hospital for the Portuguese migrants who moved to Madrid when Portugal was under Spanish rule. For this reason it was originally called . When Portugal gained independence, Phillip IV's Queen, Mariana de Austria, dedicated the refuge to German immigrants, and changed names. King Phillip V gave the administration of the church over to the (Fraternity of Sanctuary), and this group continues to manage it today, offering food and shelter to the homeless of Madrid. The Church is dedicated to St

Antony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was bor ...

, patron saint of the poor. St Antony was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1198, and became a first an Augustinian, then a Franciscan order monk, well known for his eloquent sermons. He preached in France and Italy, and died in Padua in 1231 at the age of 36. St Antony is considered the patron saint of those with items lost or misplaced. GoMadrid
tourism entry. The church houses frescoes by

Luca Giordano Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Earl ...

and Francisco Ricci. The prolific Neopolitan painter Giordano was court painter (1692-1702) to

Charles II of Spain Charles II of Spain (''Spanish: Carlos II,'' 6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700), known as the Bewitched (''Spanish: El Hechizado''), was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the War ...

, and active for the

Royal Palace of Aranjuez The Royal Palace of Aranjuez ( es, Palacio Real de Aranjuez) is one of the official residences of the Spanish royal family. It is located in the town of Aranjuez (Madrid), Spain. Established in the 16th century as a royal hunting lodge, the pal ...

and the

Buen Retiro Palace Buen Retiro Palace (Spanish: ''Palacio del Buen Retiro'') in Madrid was a large palace complex designed by the architect Alonso Carbonell (c. 1590–1660) and built on the orders of Philip IV of Spain as a secondary residence and place of recrea ...

. He was renowned for his speed of painting, and had been nicknamed "Luca-get-it-done-fast" (). On one occasion at the Spanish court, the Queen apparently asked him what his wife looked like, and he proceeded to include her image in the painting he had before him. Francisco Ricci was the son of an Italian painter, and came to Madrid to work on the decorations at the Escorial Monastery under

Federico Zuccaro Federico Zuccaro, also known as Federico Zuccari (c. 1540/1541August 6, 1609), was an Italian Mannerist painter and architect, active both in Italy and abroad. Biography Zuccaro was born at Sant'Angelo in Vado, near Urbino (Marche). His docum ...

. This Baroque church is a short walk from the Gran Vía and the nearest Metro station at Callao.

References

External links

{{Authority control Antonio De Los Alemanes Baroque architecture in Madrid Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Community of Madrid 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Spain Buildings and structures in Universidad neighborhood, Madrid

History

See also

References

External links