Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great
| Real Basílica de San Francisco el Grande | |
|---|---|
| Native name Real Basílica de San Francisco el Grande (Spanish) | |
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| Official name | Real Basílica de San Francisco el Grande |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 1980 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0004431 |
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The Royal Basilica of San Francisco el Grande (in Spanish : Real Basílica de san Francisco el Grande) is a Roman Catholic church in central Madrid, Spain, located in the Barrio (neighborhood) of La Latina. The main façade faces the Plaza of San Francisco, at the intersection of Bailén, the Gran Vía de san Francisco, and the Carrera de san Francisco. It forms part of the convent of Jesús y María of the Franciscan order. The convent was founded in the 13th century at the site of a chapel.
The basilica was designed in a Neoclassic style in the second half of the 18th century, based on a design by Francisco Cabezas, developed by Antonio Pló, and completed by Francesco Sabatini. The church contains paintings by Zurbarán and Francisco Goya. The temple once functioned as the National pantheon, and enshrined the remains of famous artists and politicians.
The dome is 33 metres (108 ft) in diameter and 58 metres (190 ft) in height; its shape is very similar to the Pantheon's dome, having a more circular shape than the typical domes built in the 18th century.
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Interior in 1860. -
Print showing translation of the remains of Calderón de la Barca from San Francisco el Grande (at the left of the image) to the cemetery of san Nicolás, by the original viaduct of the Segovia street in Madrid, in 1874.
