Studying in Spain – Journal 20: La Almudena Cathedral
La Almudena Cathedral is the main cathedral of Madrid. Although the history of this cathedral is rather short compared to other cathedrals in Spain, it is still one of the greatest cathedrals in the country.
The capital of Spain changed from Toledo to Madrid in the year 1561, but at the time, Madrid had no main cathedral, so they continued to use the one in Toledo as the capital cathedral of Spain. The construction of La Almudena Cathedral begun in 1879, and the cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena.
La Almudena Cathedral is right next to the Royal Palace of Madrid and is in the Centro area of Madrid. The closest metro station to the Cathedral is Opera, which is on metro line 2 and 5. Walking from the cathedral to main metro station Sol would talk approximately 5 minutes.
La Almudena Cathedral is open from 09:00 to 20:30 on Monday to Sunday normally, and from 10:00 to 21:00 on Monday to Sunday during July and August. The Cathedral cannot be visited during religious services. There are no entry fees to the Cathedral, though a donation of 1€ is requested.
La Almudena Cathedral Museum
La Almudena Cathedral Museum is in the cathedral itself, and the museum is a must go for people who are visiting the cathedral. The museum has historic and religious objects of Santa María de la Almudena.
To get to the dome of the cathedral you would also have to visit the museum. The dome is over 70 meters and the view over it is stunning. You could see the Royal Palace, the Plaza de Oriente, the viaduct and most of the city center.
La Almudena Cathedral Museum is open from 10:00 to 14:30 on Monday to Saturday, and closed whenever there are religious events. A ticket for an adult cost 6€, and La Almudena Cathedral Museum offers a 2€ discount to students under 25 years old with a student ID.
Crypt of La Almudena Cathedral
The Crypt of La Almudena Cathedral is underneath the cathedral itself, and is considered to be one of the largest crypt of Spain. Many members of Spain’s most noble families lie here, including King Alfonso XII’s first wife María de las Mercedes de Orléans.
The Crypt of La Almudena Cathedral is open from 10:00 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 20:00 on Monday to Sunday. There are no entry fees to the crypt, though a donation of 1€ is requested.
Amorino
After visiting the cathedral, walking to the closest Amorino would talk less than 10 minutes. Amorino is one of the most popular Italian ice cream chain in Spain and other European countries as well. There are 2 Amorino shops in Madrid’s city center, and could be found in most big cities in Spain, including Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla.
What is so special about this ice cream place is the way ice cream is served. You first choose the size of the cone of your preference, then select the flavors of ice cream. The ice cream would be served in the shape of a rose, and adding a macaron on top of the ice cream is also an option which I recommend.
Amorino is my favorite place for ice cream in Spain, and not just because of the stunning looks of the ice cream. The taste of Italian ice cream is quite different from the ones we have in Taiwan, and once I tried it, I loved it, and it has since become one of my favorite places to go in Spain.
