ATTENTION! Due to building renovations, the chapel is currently closed and cannot be visited.

A chapel closely linked to the painter Francisco de Goya, decorated with frescoes of his own making. Discover the Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida, one of the secret gems of the city of Madrid.

ORIGIN

The origin of this chapel dates back to 1732, when it was built with an image of Saint Anthony of Padua and began to be popularly venerated. In fact, one of Madrid’s most deeply rooted traditions is its pilgrimage, which is celebrated on 13 June and was and still is attended by young women who are about to get married.

Throughout the 18th century, urban reforms forced the demolition of the original chapel of San Antonio (designed by Churriguera) on two occasions and its reconstruction in another location. Its last relocation was due to the construction of the new La Florida palace, a large estate (now disappeared) that gave its name to the chapel and had been acquired by Charles IV.

By order of the king, between 1792 and 1798 the architect Felipe Fontana built the new chapel, and Francisco de Goya decorated its vaults with a series of frescoes that are considered among his masterpieces.

THE FRESCOES

As soon as you enter the chapel, an explosion of light, life and colour envelops the room. This is the mural that decorates this small sanctuary, and which marks a turning point in Goya’s career, as it combines the elements he had used up to that point with the new techniques he would later incorporate into his art.

Between 1987 and 2005, three restoration campaigns were carried out, first completely refurbishing the building and then cleaning and consolidating the frescoes, which today shine in all their splendour.

TWIN CHAPEL AND GOYA’S TOMB

To ensure the preservation of these paintings, the building was declared a National Monument in 1905 and later, in 1928, an identical church was built next to it to transfer the worship and reserve the original as a museum. By then, this chapel was also the memorial pantheon of Francisco de Goya, as his remains had been moved here in 1919 from Bordeaux, where he had died in 1828.