Nuestra Señora de Montserrat Church

Nuestra Señora de Montserrat Church

from Catalonia. The Catalonian revolt was against the Royal Household and the king wanted to offer the monks a shelter in Madrid in appreciation for their support.


But things took time in those days and it was built in 1668, during the reign of King Carlos II and the architect was Sebastián Herrera Barnuevo.
In 1671 the architect died and was replaced by Gaspar de la Peña although he would not finish the presbytery nor the façade.

In 1716 Pedro de Ribera was in charge of the building. He replaced the doors and windows adding baroque decorations.


The tower was started in 1729. In fact two were foreseen but only one built. Nobody knows why.


During the Ecclesiastical Confiscationsof Mendizabal the religious order was abolished and the church was turned into a women´s prison. During the XIXth century it was known as La Casa Galera.

Altar

In the first years of the XXth century the church was returned to the Benedictine monks. They depend from the order established in Santo Domingo de Silos.



The church is divided into three naves separated by pilasters and semicircular Doric arches. The central nave is the widest one.


In one of the chapels is a carving of the Cristo de Burgos. Below are some big ostrich eggs which seem to have been a present from a rich American trader. The carving has real hair. The robe is a characteristic of these kind of images.

Currently the church still belongs to the Benedictian monks. It is a priory (a minor monastry which depends from an abby.

Tower

Vault

Nuestra Señora de Montserrat

Cristo de Burgos

Tower seen from Quiñones street

@Copyright 2008, 2009 Mª Dolores Diehl Busch. All rights reserved.
Sponsored by Keydomo S.L.