The Church of Santiago

The church of Santiago, officially called Santiago and San Juan Bautista, in Madrid, is a temple of Catholic worship in the Spanish capital. It is a church of medium dimensions, located on Calle de Santiago, 24, very close to the Royal Palace. The current building dates from the 19th century, built by the architect Juan Antonio Cuervo to replace two temples demolished during the reign of José Bonaparte, who wanted to widen the Plaza de Oriente.
Juan Antonio Cuervo, the architect responsible for the work, devised the current temple in austere Neoclassical style, built in brick and granite, traditional materials in Madrid's architecture, with a large central dome without a drum. The facade, very flat, is animated by pilastas of Tuscan order and a frieze of triglifos, with a very salient cornice; the upper body has an arched window that goes through the top. Herrerian influences are perceived in the placados and the projections with flat padding. In the windows of the lower body there are scallops and crosses of the Order of Santiago.

The entrance is a simple arquitrabada doorway, topped by a straight pediment with corbels. A rectangular relief representing Santiago in the battle of Clavijo crowns the pediment.

The interior presents an irregular Greek cross plan, with a large central space crowned by the dome, and semicircular presbytery. Simple pilasters of Ionic order divide the spaces. The movable heritage of the church is interesting, for having preserved some of the best works of the two preceding churches. The main altar stands out, with the painting of Francisco Rizi representing Santiago Matamoros. As those who have treated the temple unanimously point out, it is one of his most outstanding works, and he also presided over the old parish of Santiago. It emphasizes in the painting the agitated, nervous and almost volatile air of the figures, influence perhaps of Rubens.3

Other interesting images are displayed on smaller altars throughout the church. There is a magnificent Baptism of Christ, a great painting by Juan Carreño de Miranda, located on the right side of the high altar, which can be identified as the one that Ponz describes in a collateral of the parish of San Juan Bautista. It is also interesting a San Juan child, beautiful Baroque sculpture of Andalusian school, attributed to Pedro Roldán. A Virgin of Hope, by Francisco Bellver, with a graceful throne of angels, an image of the blessed Mariana de Jesus (who was baptized in the old parish of Santiago), the eighteenth century, a Saint John of Nepomuk, and a Virgin of the Carmen, baroque, complete a valuable sculptural collection.

At the top of the pillars of the dome are several paintings, neoclassical works by Mariano Salvador Maella and Francisco Bayeu. The orange half of the dome and the scallops are decorated by interesting 19th century frescoes. Finally, the great Elizabethan lamp that presides over the central space of the temple is noteworthy.

Camino