Fans of art and architecture will enjoy a tour of the Church of San Manuel y San Benito (Iglesia de San Manuel y San Benito) when visiting Madrid. This neo-Byzantine masterpiece is both a church and mausoleum for its benefactors, the Catalan entrepreneur Manuel Caviggioli and his wife Benita Maurici. Spend time scrutinizing the striking exterior of the Church of San Manuel y San Benito and then walk between its collection of richly ornamented altars and chapels.
Designed by Fernando Arbós y Tremanti, the architect behind the Pantheon of Illustrious Men, the church is unique in being the only completely neo-Byzantine building in Spain. Its white marble façade is crowned by a large copper dome, decorated with blind ogive arches. A series of 16 windows and eight minarets, which function as buttresses, surround the dome. Rising above the main entrance is a tower built to the design of an Italian campanile.
Natural light floods in through the dome and large windows to illuminate the interior, a large part of which is covered with intricate mosaics. Carrara marble images of Jesus Christ, St. Augustine and St. Joseph grace the main altar. Study the seated figure of Jesus accompanied by his 12 Apostles, located in the vault. Look up at the mosaicked dome and spot representations of the Four Evangelists on the pendentives.
The flamboyant funerary chapel is a shrine to the church’s founders and their tombs sit either side of the chapel’s altar. A dazzling white angel with spread wings presides over the tombs and stands out against a starry background.
The Church of San Manuel y San Benito is open daily and admission is free. You’ll find it in the Salamanca neighborhood and at the northern edge of El Retiro Park. Get here by taking Line 2 of the metro to Retiro station. Major attractions nearby include the Casón del Buen Retiro, Plaza de Cibeles, Prado Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
