One of the capital’s lesser-known treasures has reopened. Following a comprehensive restoration that kept the building temporarily closed, the San Antonio de la Florida Chapel has been welcoming visitors again since June 12.
The restoration work, a joint project between National Heritage, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, and the Madrid City Council, involved an investment of more than 2.2 million euros, thanks to which the chapel has restored the original lead-sheet system of its dome and features new improvements in accessibility and insulation.
Inside, a new climate control system and LED lighting have been specifically designed to protect Francisco de Goya’s frescoes and enhance the original colors of the work dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. Interestingly, the remains of the Aragonese painter have rested in this site since 1919, the year they were transferred from Bordeaux.
Following its reopening, the chapel will be open Tuesday through Sunday during summer hours: from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
More plans from National Heritage to kick off the summer
If you’re staying in the city center, the Royal Collections Gallery has just opened two temporary exhibitions running through October: a retrospective on Fernando Brambila, the 19th-century landscape painter who documented the Royal Sites, and Weaving Court Life, a first-of-its-kind exhibition featuring more than 200 textile treasures from the monarchy.
If, on the other hand, you’d like to get out of the capital, just over an hour away is the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso. There, the season for lighting up its monumental fountains has already begun—a spectacle powered by an original 300-year-old hydraulic system that shoots jets of water up to 50 meters high. In addition, the Royal Site in Segovia has recently launched some unique guided tours to explore the historic Royal Pharmacy and the facilities of what was once Spain’s first fish farm.
