{"id":27384,"date":"2022-04-08T21:15:53","date_gmt":"2022-04-09T01:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=27384"},"modified":"2022-04-08T21:15:53","modified_gmt":"2022-04-09T01:15:53","slug":"plan-goya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=27384","title":{"rendered":"Plan Goya"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00a92022 Snapping<\/em> the Globe, L.L.C.<\/em> All rights reserved<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plans A, B, C, D, E and F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your time is limited in a city, it is imperative to have multiple plans because you never know\u2026websites have incorrect hours, the lines are too long to get into your\u00a0intended destinations or you happen to sleep too long.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this particular day, I had plans to visit the Pantheon of Illustrious Men.\u00a0\u00a0It was some distance from my hotel and it closed at 3:00 p.m, so I knew that when I laid down for a quick nap, it had to be just that\u2026quick.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what do you think happened?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I slept a little too long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this day, however, I had broken my cardinal rule.\u00a0\u00a0There was no Plan B, C, D, E or even F.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I rushed to get ready, I ran through list of attractions, churches and museums in the area.\u00a0\u00a0Temple of Debod came to mind and I thought I would head that way to see what I would find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a beautiful day and I headed on foot in the direction of the Temple of Debod. I didn\u2019t remember that it was a place where you could enter the building;  I had only remembered that it was in a park.  Yet, when I arrived, there was a line formed waiting for entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, is this worth it?\u201d I asked myself, looking at the empty water basins that make up the monument.  I remembered walking by in the past, and it was quite lovely, but waiting an extraordinary amount of time due to Covid spacing requirements for entry, didn\u2019t seem like a productive way to spend my shortened afternoon. Quickly taking a look at my Google maps, I realized that I wasn\u2019t extremely far from the Real Ermita de San Antonio de La Florida (The Royal Chapel of St. Anthony of La Florida).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, I had dragged a couple of my coworkers to this small church before taking a ride on the Teleferico en Rosales. I didn\u2019t remember much about it except that it was extremely famous for its interior painting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking through the Parque de la Monta\u00f1a and near the Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste, I enjoyed the warmth of the winter afternoon.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, crossing the brightly bedecked pedestrian walkway above the train tracks, I found myself at the rear of the church.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Though it wasn\u2019t extremely far, it had taken about 45 minutes and it suddenly dawned on me that it could be closed.\u00a0\u00a0I also suddenly remembered that there had been no photography allowed when I had first visited…oh brother…this afternoon was surely going to be a bust!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh well, I was here.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Walking toward the front of the church, I found a sign directing me to the entrance on the right.\u00a0\u00a0There was no one to greet me and I made my way through the hallway and right into the church, where I found two other visitors, eyes trained on the ceiling.\u00a0\u00a0Following their lead, I looked upward and remembered what this church was famous for.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so I had moved on to Plan G. Plan Goya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the late 17th century, a chapel, devoted to St. Anthony of Padua, had a great many devotees, especially those of women without future matrimonial prospects.\u00a0\u00a0To this day, it still hosts of a pilgrimage, held on June 13, that is attended by young adult women who hope to be married.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chapel was eventually demolished and relocated to the estate of La Florida.  King Charles V ordered the construction of the new chapel between 1792 to 1798 and commissioned painter Francisco de Goya to adorn its vaults with a series of frescoes.  Goya, aware of the importance of this chapel to its devotees took great care with his creation and these frescoes ultimately became some of the greatest of his masterpieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to its importance to the city of Madrid and to Spain, in 1905, the chapel was declared a National Monument and Francisco de Goya\u2019s remains were moved here in 1919 from Bordeaux (where he had died in 1828).\u00a0\u00a0In order to preserve the original as a museum, an identical chapel was built beside it, in 1928, for worshipers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As my eyes moved around the room, I was entranced by the muted movement within each series.\u00a0\u00a0These frescoes, depicting the miracles of St. Anthony of Padua, were painted over six months time during which Goya developed many new techniques that he went on to incorporate into his art going forward. The most captivating series, however, are within the dome and depict Saint Anthony raising a man from the dead and absolving his father who had been falsely accused of his murder.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take a moment to sit on one of the benches, prepare for a neck ache and take it all in.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As I did this for a while, my neck spasms then began. Moving around, I then took in the two altarpieces painter by Jacinto G\u00f3mez Pastor, on each side of the rectangular Greek cross-plan chapel,\u00a0\u00a0as well as a gold cherub chandelier dropping from the dome.\u00a0\u00a0At the front of the chapel, I admired the crucifix, within the apse, decorated with angels and fronted by Goya\u2019s tomb.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The chapel is and contains one of Madrid\u2019s most spectacular treasures and it is a place that all visitors should seek out. Best part for me?\u00a0\u00a0Photographs are now allowed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I always like to suggest to people, \u201chead on over,\u201d to places that I recommend, I think that in this case it takes on an interesting connotation here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Goya\u2019s remains were to be brought to Madrid, the French officials realized that his head had gone missing.  Madrid\u2019s response?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBring him home, even headless!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Real Ermita de San Antonio de La Florida<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n