Basilica de San Isidro, Madrid
The Basilica de San Isidro acted as a substitute cathedral from 1885 until the completion of the Almudena.
San Isidro is a huge twin-towered Baroque church, designed by Pedro Sánchez in the style of the Gesu in Rome. It is also known as La Colegiata from its early days as part of a Jesuit college.
The basilica was built by Francisco Bautista in the 17th-century, and it shelters the remains of Madrid's patron saint San Isidro and his wife, Santa María de la Cabeza.
On the Thursday of Easter week the two images of the saints are taken out in a procession around the streets of Madrid.
Quick Facts
| Address: | Calle Toledo 37, Madrid, Spain |
| Phone: | 91-369-20-37 |
| Metro: | La Latina or Tirso de Molina |
| Bus: | 17, 18, 23, 35, or 60 |
| Hours: | Sept-July Mon-Sat 7:30am-1pm, 6:30-8:30pm; Aug Mon-Sat 7:30am-8:30pm, Sun 7:15-8:30pm |
| Cost: | Free |
Main source: Frommer's Madrid, 1st ed.
