San Antonio de la Florida: Goya's chapel
From outside it is a plain little church by a railway station. Inside, the whole dome is Goya: a crowd of Madrid people leaning over a painted railing to watch a saint at work, as if they had wandered in from the street.
- What it is
- Church
- Time to allow
- 30 to 60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Best time
- A weekday morning
Madrid this week
Why San Antonio de la Florida is worth it
Charles IV had the chapel built by the Italian architect Felipe Fontana between 1792 and 1798, on the royal estate of La Florida by the Manzanares. In 1798 he gave Goya, his court painter, the decoration, and Goya finished it in about six months with the help of his assistant Asensio Juliá.
The subject is a miracle of Saint Anthony of Padua, who raised a murdered man from the dead so that he could clear the saint's father of the crime. Goya moved it from medieval Lisbon to the Madrid of his own day and filled it with the people he saw around him: beggars, majas, children and gossiping women.
Goya died in exile in Bordeaux in 1828. In 1919 his remains were brought back and laid in the chapel, without his skull, which was missing when the grave was opened. A twin chapel was built beside it in 1928 for the parish, so that the first could become a museum.
What to see
The dome
The miracle runs all the way round the base of the cupola, behind a painted railing, with the crowd pressing against it and a boy climbing on it for a better view.
The angels
Below the dome, in the vaults and the apse, Goya painted angels as women, in rich dresses, holding back curtains.
Goya's tomb
A plain stone in front of the altar marks where he lies, beneath the painting he made at the height of his powers.
How to do it well
- Entry is free and the chapel is run by the city as a museum. It is closed on Mondays.
- On 13 June, the feast of Saint Anthony, the neighbourhood holds its festival and the chapel fills with young women who come to ask the saint for a partner.
- Casa Mingo, the Asturian cider house beside the chapel, has served roast chicken here since 1888.
- It is a twenty-minute walk downhill from the Royal Palace, past the Campo del Moro, or ten minutes from Príncipe Pío station.
Where it is
Address
Glorieta de San Antonio de la Florida 5, by the Manzanares near Príncipe Pío
Nearest station
Príncipe Pío (lines 6, 10 and R), about ten minutes on foot
Museums and sights nearby
- Temple of Debod700 m
- Royal Palace of Madrid1.3 km
- Plaza Mayor1.9 km
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum2.8 km
Distances are in a straight line.
Tickets and tours: San Antonio de la Florida
San Antonio de la Florida: common questions
- Where is Goya buried?
- In the chapel of San Antonio de la Florida in Madrid, beneath the dome he painted in 1798. His remains were brought there from Bordeaux in 1919.
- Is San Antonio de la Florida free?
- Yes. The city runs it as a museum, and entry costs nothing.
- What did Goya paint in San Antonio de la Florida?
- A miracle of Saint Anthony of Padua round the base of the dome, set in the Madrid of his time and watched by a crowd of ordinary people, and angels painted as women in the vaults below.
- How much time do you need for San Antonio de la Florida?
- Allow 30 to 60 minutes. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.
What visitors say about San Antonio de la Florida
Rating from Google
Things to do near San Antonio de la Florida
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 10Watch the sun set behind the Temple of Debod700 m awayMonument, 30 to 75 minutes, free
- 2Walk through the state rooms of the Royal Palace1.3 km awayMonument, 1.5 to 3 hours, ticket
- 8See flamenco danced in a tablao1.7 km awayShow, 1 to 2.5 hours, ticket, with a drink or dinner as you choose
- 15Take the guided tour of the Descalzas Reales convent1.8 km awayChurch, 1 to 1.5 hours, ticket
Artists to see near San Antonio de la Florida
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, 2.8 km away
Museo Nacional del Prado, 3.1 km away
Where to eat near San Antonio de la Florida
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- Casa Mingo4.1Cider house, Príncipe Pío50 m away
- Taberna La Bola4.2Tavern, Ópera1.4 km away
- Corral de la Morería4.4Tablao and restaurant, La Morería1.7 km away
- Chocolatería San Ginés4.3Chocolate shop, Puerta del Sol1.9 km away
Hotels near San Antonio de la Florida
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- Barceló Torre de Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Plaza de España1.1 km away
- Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá4.7Five-star hotel, Ópera1.5 km away
- Four Seasons Hotel Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Canalejas2.3 km away
- JW Marriott Hotel Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Canalejas2.4 km away