San Ginés, Madrid

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Bellfry of the San Ginés Church.

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Interior.

The church of San Ginés, in Madrid, is one of the oldest churches in that city. It is situated on the Calle Arenal. References to it appear in documents dating from the ninth century. Originally built in Mudéjar style (of the structure only the campanile survives), it was rebuilt in 1645.

History

The church was one of the churches of the medieval Madrid, of Mozarab origin, from between the 12th and 13th centuries, and its name comes from the fact that it was dedicated to the patron saint of notaries and secretaries, Saint Genesius of Arles (San Ginés de Arlés).

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"Fallen Christ" (1698), designed by Nicolò Fumo.

Description

The church is preceded by an atrium enclosed by railings. It has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles separated by semicircular arches and several side chapels and the altarpieces belong to the Neoclassical-Romantic school. It was, however, totally reconstructed after suffering several fires, so few remnants of the original church, such as the bell-tower, remain. In 1870, the loggia and atrium facing the Calle Arenal were added.

In the Santísimo Cristo Chapel there are artworks by Alonso Cano, Luca Giordano and el Greco.

In fact, the painting by El Greco is not to be found in the chapel of the Santísimo, it is situated in the main church but covered by wood and it is only on display on Saturdays from 11.30 am to noon.

Notes

Lope de Vega, the dramatist (playwright) and writer, was baptized here, while poet Francisco de Quevedo, was married there. The death certificate of Tomás Luis de Victoria can also be found in its archives.

One of the most curious items on display is a stuffed crocodile, which is said to have been brought over from the Americas during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs.

External links

• Arte Historia (Spanish)
• Yahoo Travel