Church of San Isidro el Real - Interim Cathedral of Madrid

Chapel of San José inside The Colegiata of San Isidro. The Empress Maria of Austria, left her entire fortune to build this church, which started construction during the reign of Felipe IV (Philip IV) . At that time, this church was called Iglesia de San Francisco Javier (St. Francis Xavier). Facade of the Church of San Isidro el Real It went on to be a “Colegiata” in 1767 , when Carlos III , expelled the Jesuits. A “Colegiata”, is a name given to a Catholic church , that although it is not to become a cathedral , it is a council of canons with a Dean , abbot or prior. At this time, also the corpses of San Isidro (Patron of Madrid), and his wife were moved to this church from the parish of St. Andrew. Side chapels of the Church of San Isidro In 1883 , the archdiocese of Madrid- Alcala was created, and this temple became the Provisional Cathedral of Madrid for over one hundred years, until the construction of La Almudena Cathedral, was finished. Facade with the statues of San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza In the front façade, you can see a niche containing two stone statues with the figures of San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza. Further down in the photo above, there are part of the railings from the seventeenth century with the imperial coat of arms of María de Austria. Interior of the Colegiata of San Isidro. Interior of the Church of San Isidro The altarpiece has been rebuilt after the assault and arson suffered by this (and many other) churches in 1936, and during the Civil War . Altarpiece of the church of San Isidro The altarpiece has four columns with the sculpture of four saints, and a painting of the Holy Trinity . In the center of the altar, there are the remains of the patron saint of Madrid and his wife. Shrine of Jesus del Gran Poder The Colegiata Church of San Isidro is also home to the brotherhood of “Jesus del Gran Poder”, and the “Virgen de la Macarena”, with their respective chapels which can be seen in these photographs. In the photo above , the Chapel of Jesus of the Great Power, that is probably, one of the most beautiful of Madrid, with its rich baroque decoration . The wood carving of the Jesus of the Great Power, is a true copy of the original in the Basilica of Seville. Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua, with the image of the Virgin of Solitude The above photograph shows a tableau of the eighteenth century Tuscan style , with a modern carving of San Antonio de Padua. The image of the Virgen de la Soledad , is from the nineteenth century. Shrine of the Virgen de la Macarena in the Church of San Isidro This carving of the Virgen de la Macarena , is an exact replica of the one in Seville . The altarpiece of the chapel of the Macarena, is modern, but decorated with other old items. Chapel of Our Lady of Good Counsel Inside the church of San Isidro , is this chapel , which is rather a parish in itself, with its dome and Latin cross plan, designed by Sebastian Herrera Barnuevo . The altar is an eighteenth -century Baroque altarpiece with a central image of Our Lady of Good Counsel and to the sides , San Joaquin and Santa Ana.