Madrid
Madrid
+ Madrid
Sights
* Basilica de San Francisco El Grande
* Basilica de San Miguel
* Botín
* Calle de Serrano
* Casa de América
* Casa Museo de Lope de Vega
* Casa de la Villa
* Casón del Buen Retiro
* Catedral de La Almundena
* Catedral de San Isidro
* Centro Cultural Conde Duque
* Convento de las Carboneras
* Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida
* Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Bernabéu Stadium)
* Iglesia de las Calatravas
* Iglesia de Las Salesas
* Iglesia de San Andrés Apóstol
* Iglesia y Convento de las Trinitarias
* Mercado de San Miguel
* Monasterio de la Encarnación
* Museo Arqueológico Nacional
* Museo Nacional de Antropología
* Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas
* Museo De La Real Academia De Bellas Artes De San Fernando
* Museo Cerralbo
* Museo Chicote
* Museo del Ejército
* Museo Naval
* Museo Romántico
* Museo Del Traje
* Palacio de Comunicaciones
* Palacio de las Cortes
* The Paseos
* Plaza de la Cibeles
* Plaza de Toros de las Ventas
* Puerta del Sol
* Puerta de Toledo
* El Rastro (Rastro Flea Market)
* Real Fábrica de Tapices
* Real Jardín Botánico
* Teleférico
* Telefónica
Excursions
+ Excursions
Walk/Drive
Food&Drink
In The Know
Did You Know?
( Highly Recommended )
Another of Madrid's closed orders dedicated to the royal family, this convent is famous on two counts: its collection of some 4,000 relicarios (reliquaries) and an annual miracle. Whether you believe that the reliquaries contain the authentic bones of saints or a fragment of the true cross depends on your religious persuasion. However, according to the curator, visitors should appreciate the reliquaries as works of art, created as expressions of religious belief during the 17th century - Spain's Golden Age.
The reliquaries are preserved in glass cases, which line the walls of what looks like a heavily decorated library with an impressive, gilded altar. They come in all shapes and sizes in precious materials of the period, such as coral, marble and crystal, as well as gold and silver. The designs reflect the talents of artists, not just from Spain but also from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and even the Orient. One of the most venerated reliquaries is a small vial containing a droplet of blood, which is reputedly from the 4th-century physician and martyr, San Pantaleón. On 26 July, the eve of the saint's feast day, the vial is placed on the altar of the church in the convent. There, according to the faithful, la sangre (the blood) rematerialises. The convent, still home to a small community of nuns, was founded in 1611 by Margarita of Austria, wife of Felipe III. Although the handsome façade is original, architect Ventura Rodríguez remodelled the interior after a fire in the 18th century.
Url: www.patrimonionacional.es
Address: Plaza de la Encarnación 1
Phone: 91 454 8803
Hours: Tue-Sat 10:30-12:45, 4-5:45, Sun, public hols 11-1:45. Closed Fri pm, Mon and Aug
Restaurant: Plenty near by (Inexpensive)
Metro: Opera
Accessible: None
Admission: Cheap; free Wed
Other: Palacio Real
Practical: Joint ticket available with the nearby Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales
| COUNTRY |
| Spain |
| REGION |
| CITIES |
| Madrid
|
| Viewing |
| Top Ten |
| What To See |
| Where To ... |
| Practical Matters |
| Barcelona |
| Santiago |
| Seville |
| MAPS |
| World |
| Europe |
| TRAVEL BOOK |
| Book Info |
| Order Online |
 |