The Chapel of San Isidro is located in the fields of Carabanchel, lands which used to belong to Juan de Vargas, the patron who hired San Isidro as a well digger and labourer, next to the spring that the saint had miraculously made flow to quench the thirst of his master and which has curative properties, according to popular tradition.
Today, there is no documentation that certifies the date of construction of the first chapel, but we do know the first testimonies of its existence, dating back to 1499, thanks to the ecclesiastic visitors’ books that are conserved in the parish of San Andrés.
In 1528, Empress Isabel of Portugal, the wife of Carlos V, ordered the construction of a new chapel next to the fountain in honour of San Isidro Labrador, after the monarch and their son, the future King Felipe II, were cured of their ailments after drinking the water there.
Later, in 1620, Cristóbal de Urgel ordered a small chapel to be built next to the chapel’s main altar for him to be buried with his family members, as well as the main altarpiece, the sacristy and a series of improvements.
In 1724, the Viceroy of New Spain, Baltasar de Zúñiga, ordered the Oratory to be rebuilt due to its dilapidated state. This small sanctuary with a hexagonal dome, covered in slate and crowned with a lantern, caught fire in 1936 and the Sacramental Arch Confraternity of Saint Peter, Saint Andrew and Saint Isidro was responsible for its reconstruction between 1940 and 1941, following the 1724 model.
On 15 May, the capital’s Patron Saint’s Day, San Isidro Labrador, a popular outdoor mass is held on the esplanade close to the Chapel, which is attended by more and more people each year. Madrid residents commemorate the festivity with a pilgrimage in the vicinity of the Sanctuary, drink the water from its miraculous fountain and eat in the surrounding area. During this time, the relic is worshipped and diverse masses are held. It is considered to be one of the most popular and traditional festivities in Madrid.
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