Church of las Calatravas (Madrid)

The church known today as the Calatrava Church is a Catholic temple in Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain.

It belongs to the nuns of the Order of Calatrava and to a lesser extent to its knights. It is the only surviving part of the former convent of the Royal Conception, of the nuns of the Order of Calatrava, located at the beginning of one of the most important streets in Madrid, Calle de Alcalá, a short distance from Puerta del Sol.

This privileged location, together with the patronage of royalty and important personalities, made the convent one of the most important in the capital, following its establishment there in the 17th century, which is why the current church preserves a rich artistic heritage.

Architecture

The influence of the Escurial models is evident in the general sobriety of the building; the original severity of the exterior, broken only by simple mouldings and decorative plaques, was radically transformed in the 19th century, when the king consort Francis of Assisi ordered the entire exterior of the church to be decorated in the romantic fashion, according to designs by the architect Juan de Madrazo y Kuntz.

The interior of the church is characterised by its luminosity and decorative exuberance. The nave is covered by a barrel vault with lunettes. The dome presides over the space, which, although it has an octagonal drum on the outside, is circular on the inside, supported by frescoed pendentives and crowned by a half-orange with ribs.