Real Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida (Royal Chapel of St. Anthony of La Florida)
A small neoclassical chapel near the Manzanares river, famous for its extraordinary ceiling frescoes painted by Goya in 1798, where the artist himself is also buried.
As you stand before the Real Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida, you might at first be struck by its quiet elegance, a vision of neoclassical grace tucked away from the bustling heart of Madrid, nestled by the tranquil Manzanares River. This isn't just a charming chapel; it’s a profound artistic and historical treasure, a place where the genius of Francisco de Goya y Lucientes forever transformed the sacred into a vibrant tableau of everyday life. Its unassuming façade, with its gentle salmon-pink hues and delicate white trim, framed by the classical lines of a portico with slender Ionic columns and a triangular pediment, belies the extraordinary spectacle awaiting you within. Commissioned by King Charles IV, this royal hermitage was rebuilt between 1792 and 1798, designed by Francisco de Fontana, but it was Goya’s brush that truly consecrated it, elevating it from a simple place of worship to an enduring testament to Spanish art and culture. Step inside, and immediately your gaze is drawn upwards, into a breathtaking explosion of light and colour that adorns the elliptical dome above. Here, Goya, then the celebrated court painter, completed this monumental fresco cycle in a mere four months in 1798. You are witnessing the miracle of Saint Anthony of Padua, who, to prove his father’s innocence, resurrects a murdered man to testify. But this isn't a conventional depiction of a saintly miracle in a distant, heavenly realm. Instead, Goya transports the scene to contemporary Madrid, painting a vibrant crowd of *majas* and *majos*, common folk of his time, leaning over a balustrade, peering down into the chapel from a seemingly open sky.