It has been almost two years since the monastery located at 9 San Roque Street, in Malasaña, announced its closure. The reason, as El Periódico de España learned at the time, was the unusual fact that for the first time in four centuries its interior did not house any Benedictine nuns. The decision also affected the Church of San Placido located inside until now, when the good news has been known that it opens to the public for the first time so that it can be visited.
The news is not trivial for the people of Madrid: this church, dating from the seventeenth century, was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in the Monument Category in 1943 by the Community of Madrid and, despite not being well known (because it belongs to a cloistered order), it is considered a real jewel of the Madrid Baroque. A category that could also include, for example, the Church of San Marcos (Calle San Leonardo, 10).
The modest exposed brick exterior gives no reason to imagine that behind these walls the rich heritage of this temple has its own names: artists such as Gregorio Fernández, Claudio Coello, Francisco Pérez Sierra, Juan Martín Cabezalero and Francisco Rizi contributed to the ornamentation of the interior.
One of the most relevant pieces is the painting of the Annunciation or the Incarnation of the high altar painted by Claudio Coello: with its 7.5 meters high, it became the first of its kind in Spain, according to an interview with TeleMadrid.
How to visit the Church of San Placido
It has been the Hermandad del Refugio that has launched the visits to the Church of San Placido -the same one that, by the way, manages those of the Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes-. Tickets can be purchased through this link and there are several modalities, namely:
Free visit (with audio guide)
Monday to Friday from 10:30 am to 5 pm and Saturdays from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.
- General Visit to San Placido: 5€.
- Combined Visit San Antonio de los Alemanes + San Placido: 9€.
Guided visit
From Monday to Friday at 12h
- Group visits (minimum 10 people and maximum 25-30 people): 7€. It is necessary to contact in advance through sanantoniodelosalemanes@realhermandaddelrefugio.org.