The dome
Among the widest built in Spain, and the interior reads far larger than the facade suggests.
Paul Hermans โ CC BY-SA 3.0 ยท Jl FilpoC โ CC BY-SA 4.0 ยท Diego Delso โ CC BY-SA 4.0 ยท Diego Delso โ CC BY-SA 4.0
The Almudena is larger, newer and closer to the Royal Palace, and most itineraries go there. San Francisco is older, quieter, its dome more impressive, and it holds better paintings. With time for one church the Almudena is easier to reach; for something less crowded, this one.
No. It closes at midday as is usual in Spain, and hours differ between weekdays, holidays and service times. Plan for the morning or late afternoon and check before going.
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A late eighteenth-century church in the La Latina district whose dominant feature is its dome: close to thirty-three metres across, among the widest built in Spain and a rival to Europe's great domes. The interior is densely decorated in a nineteenth-century manner and holds paintings by Spanish artists, including an early work by Goya in one of the side chapels. That is what makes the visit worth more than simply looking up at the dome. The church is far less known than the cathedral or the royal sites nearby, and that works in its favour: you find it quiet and lightly visited in a city where almost everything is crowded. The location in La Latina sits on the edge of old Madrid, a district worth walking in its own right. The nearest metro stations are La Latina and Puerta de Toledo, both a short distance away.
Among the widest built in Spain, and the interior reads far larger than the facade suggests.
An early Goya hangs in one of the side chapels alongside other Spanish works.
Far less known than the cathedral and the royal sites, so you find it relatively empty.
Plaza de San Francisco, La Latina, Madrid