Within the historical buildings of Madrid, whose architecture and design date back to the 15th century and a style, the Gothic, which was already beginning to give way to other styles more in line with the innovations and tastes of the society of the time, as can Being the Renaissance and the Baroque, the monastery of San Jerónimo el Real, popularly known as 'los Jerónimos', deserves special attention.

Its location is also worth taking into account, since being located opposite the Prado Museum - home to one of the main art galleries in the world - and a short distance from the monumental Retiro Park, it forms an essential part of that newly named Light Passage or Paseo de la Luz, which has recently been recognized as a Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Closely linked to the life of the Court, nothing less than since the time of the Catholic Monarchs, unlike the great cathedrals and other buildings of a similar style, the monastery of San Jerónimo el Real, if we have to go to the impressions of a great of Spanish Literature, as was Don Miguel de Unamuno, can be summarized in an easy reading.

The plant of its church maintains the typical Latin cross shape, on a dozen Atlantean columns, which without being extraordinarily thick, like those that distinguish many cathedrals, support elegant vaults, distributed, as used to be custom in this style architectural, in the form of palm leaves, an eminently sacred tree in the Christian tradition, as it served as a refuge and protection for the Holy Family on their flight to Egypt.

This distribution achieves, at the same time, the use of both sides for the inclusion of a series of chapels, five on each side, in most of which the figure of the Virgin stands out, in several of the oldest and most ancient meanings. revered by the Spanish people.

Thus, from this perspective, the monastery of San Jerónimo el Real could also be defined, a genuinely Marian sanctuary, where important invocations occur such as: the Virgen del Pilar, the Virgen de Covadonga, the Virgen del Carmen or that other, of black connotations and especially venerated also in many places in South America, which is the Virgin of Guadalupe.

In fact, the history of the discovery of the latter is represented, in her chapel, in one of the most beautiful stained glass windows in the entire monastery complex.

Apart from this detail, the curious, anonymous and original paintings from the 15th century also stand out, which decorate one of the chapels and which, among other themes, show some passages from the life of Christ and also highlights the presence of two saints with a certain heterodox burden: Santa María Magdalena, carrying in her hands the famous jug with ointment to anoint corpses and Santa Marina, a curious character, who carries a bucket and a thistle, the latter solar symbol, at whose feet is shown a dragon and that is usually related to certain water cults, a detail that should not surprise us if we take into account that throughout this area the underground aquifers are remarkable.

Like the vast majority of buildings of its time, this monastery also suffered extensive damage, especially during the French occupation of 1808, so many elements, such as the grandiose Flemish-style altarpiece that can be seen on one side of the altar, is not original.

Yes it is, however, the immense painting that stands as a Major Altarpiece: made in 1829 by the artist, Rafael Tegeo and entitled 'The Last Communion of Saint Jerome', it represents the saint's atonement and the request to his disciples to receive Holy Communion.

Part of the original cloister, designed by Fray Lorenzo de San Nicolás, was restored relatively recently and transferred to the neighboring Prado Museum, of whose facilities it currently forms part.

Externally speaking, due to the beautiful pinnacles that define the highest part of the church, one could also speak of "flamboyant Gothic", a style that was especially relevant in England, from where it was imported to many places on the continent.

It also highlights numerous gargoyles, which having been restored, show, possibly much better than their homonyms, holders of the great cathedrals, an obviously technical function, such as rainwater drains, in addition to their symbolic function of guardians of the temple, a tradition that dates back, at least, to the legendary times of King Solomon and the supposed magical arts with which he dominated and left the demon Asmodeus as custodian of his famous Temple.

To conclude this exhibition, we must also affirm that in all the chapels, in addition to the important Marian presence mentioned above, there are works by famous artists, such as Rafael Tejeo, Juan Andrés Ricci, Francisco Rizzi or José Moreno, so that in addition, the church of the monastery of San Jerónimo el Real invites, no doubt, also to a splendid walk through Art.

NOTICE: Both the text and the photographs that accompany it, as well as the video that illustrates it, are my exclusive intellectual property and therefore, are subject to my Copyright.

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