Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha, Madrid, Spain

The Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha is one of the six basilica churches in Madrid. The buildings on the site have a long history. The original name refers to a lost icon from a chapel which was found during the time of the Reconquista. The old church was in disrepair and rebuilt in the 1890s in a Neo-Byzantine style designed by Fernando Arbós y Tremanti.

The church was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and reconstruction completed in 1951.

Adjacent to the church is the Pantheon of Illustrious Men or Panteón de Hombres Ilustres of Madrid. It holds the remains of only a former president of the council of ministers, José Canalejas, however it also contains a number of interesting monuments from and just after the turn of the 19th century.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

gaspar sigaya (11 months ago)
Sacred place. Miracle happens here!

Josemaría Garrido Gallego (21 months ago)
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha, the first knowledge reference of his existence dates from the sixth century. It has been rebuild several times along the history, last time, after the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), where most of the Catholic Church in Madrid were destroyed by the Republican Government until his defeat by the troops of Franco. In 2007, the Pope Benedict proclaimed saints five Dominican that were martyred in the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. There are a monument in the Church Cloister commemorating these five friars that lived there. There are two pieces of interest inside: The Santo Niño of Atocha, located in the left side of the church, that is a copy of the original, destroyed in the Spanish Civil War, and the image of Our Lady of Atocha, in the altarpiece of the Church, that was hidden by the Dominicans during the War. Daily mass at 8:00, 10:00, 12:00 and 20:00. Saturday at 10:00, 12:00 and 20:00 (Sunday Mass). Sunday masses at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 (kids), 12:00, 13:00 and 20:00.

Daniel Volek (2 years ago)
nice, quiet place...

Stue Blue (2 years ago)
Very interesting place

Carmen Garrido (2 years ago)
Preciosa. Los Dominicos la tienen impoluta y son muy buenos predicadores. Si tienes ocasión sube al camarín de la Virgen, en la antesala está el ramo de novia de la Reina Letizia que depositó allí después de la boda, siguiendo una costumbre de la realeza.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Château de Falaise

Château de Falaise is best known as a castle, where William the Conqueror, the son of Duke Robert of Normandy, was born in about 1028. William went on to conquer England and become king and possession of the castle descended through his heirs until the 13th century when it was captured by King Philip II of France. Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840 it has been protected as a monument historique.

The castle (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the Dukes of Normandy. The construction was started on the site of an earlier castle in 1123 by Henry I of England, with the 'large keep' (grand donjon). Later was added the 'small keep' (petit donjon). The tower built in the first quarter of the 12th century contained a hall, chapel, and a room for the lord, but no small rooms for a complicated household arrangement; in this way, it was similar to towers at Corfe, Norwich, and Portchester, all in England. In 1202 Arthur I, Duke of Brittany was King John of England's nephew, was imprisoned in Falaise castle's keep. According to contemporaneous chronicler Ralph of Coggeshall, John ordered two of his servants to mutilate the duke. Hugh de Burgh was in charge of guarding Arthur and refused to let him be mutilated, but to demoralise Arthur's supporters was to announce his death. The circumstances of Arthur's death are unclear, though he probably died in 1203.

In about 1207, after having conquered Normandy, Philip II Augustus ordered the building of a new cylindrical keep. It was later named the Talbot Tower (Tour Talbot) after the English commander responsible for its repair during the Hundred Years' War. It is a tall round tower, similar design to the towers built at Gisors and the medieval Louvre.Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840, Château de Falaise has been recognised as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

A programme of restoration was carried out between 1870 and 1874. The castle suffered due to bombardment during the Second World War in the battle for the Falaise pocket in 1944, but the three keeps were unscathed.

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