Pantheon of Spain

ORIGINS

The idea of the national pantheon is characteristic of European constitutional systems since the French Revolution and has developed from the English example of Westminster. In Spain, despite various initiatives throughout the 19th century, the concept definitively came about with the Pantheon of Illustrious Men that the Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Habsburg ordered to be created in the cloister of the new Basilica of Atocha, although this temple, which would have served as a framework for official religious ceremonies, was never built.

This continued the tradition that the previous temple had acquired as a burial place for captain generals such as Prim, Palafox and Castaños, although only the Marquis del Duero has remained here.

 

THE MAUSOLEUMS

The mausoleums of some of the most influential politicians and military men in Spain such as Sagasta, Cánovas del Castillo, Dato, Ríos Rosas, Canalejas and Gutiérrez de la Concha can be visited in this building. In addition to those mentioned, there is another collective mausoleum in the garden of its cloister.

These funerary monuments constitute important sculptural complexes from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, amongst which are those made by Mariano Benlliure, Pedro Estany and Agustín Querol stand out.

 

THE GREAT UNKNOWN

This is located on the site of the aforementioned ancient Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha, and was built between 1892 and 1899, following the design by Fernando Arbós, in a very characteristic neo-medieval style reminiscent of Byzantine art. This style can be recognized in another of his works; the church of San Manuel and San Benito, next to El Retiro Park.

The building is structured around a central patio, with naves along three sides of this that are closed off to the exterior and open to the interior.