Basilica of San Miguel

This basilica is located in the heart of Hapsburg Madrid. In spite of its small size, it is one of the most significant buildings of the Spanish Baroque, because of the unique convex shape of its façade, a feature which is rare in Spain and unique amongst the baroque buildings of Madrid. In 1984, it was declared a National Monument.

Built between 1739 and 1746, under the orders of Queen Isabel de Farnesio, on the site of the former parish church of Saint Justus and Saint Pastor, which dated back to the 13th century, and pulled down at the end of the 17th century, the basilica is similar to a Roman church. The structure, which has a Latin cross floor plan, was designed by the Italian architect Santiago Bonavía and completed by Virgilio Rabaglio. Of particular note is its convex façade, crowned with two towers featuring spires with some oriental details, and a pediment which is also convex. Amongst the church’s most notable carvings is the image of Cristo de la Fe y del Perdón, an 18th-century work by sculptor Luis Salvador Carmona. This image features each year in the Palm Sunday procession, and is the first of all the images to be paraded during Madrid’s Holy Week.

Since the end of 1959, the basilica has been administered by the Opus Dei priests.