Parish Church of San Manuel y San Benito

Opposite El Retiro Park, on Calle de Alcalá, stands one of the most recognisable buildings in Madrid, due to its original construction that dates back to the first decade of the 20th century. The work of the architect Fernando Arbós y Tremanti was allocated as a residence and church for the Augustinian priests. The patrons of this initiative were the Catalonian businessman Manuel Caviggioli and his wife, Benita Maurici, who generously donated the land for this purpose and from whom the church takes its name.

It is one of the best examples of Neo-Byzantine architecture in Madrid, along with the Pantheon of Illustrious Men, which was also designed by Arbós. Its plan centres on a Greek cross, with a large dome over pendentives where the four evangelists are symbolically represented. Inside, a side chapel “to the Epistle” is noteworthy, with a white marble altar in the centre and the two tombs of the Catalonian couple at the sides. As regards its façade, the steeple stands out, erected in the style of Italian campaniles.