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Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha

The Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha, in the Pacífico district next to Atocha station, stands on the site of a shrine dedicated to the Virgin of Atocha since the Middle Ages. The current building, in the Escurial style and in exposed brick, was inaugurated in 1951 to a design by Diego Méndez, with a rectangular plan of 52 by 34 metres and a central nave 13.25 metres high. Pope Pius IX granted the church the title of minor basilica in 1863. Since the 17th century, the Virgin of Atocha has been venerated as protector of the Spanish royal family, and there is a tradition of presenting newborns of the Royal House at the church weeks after their birth. Inside is kept the Gothic carving of the Virgin, from the 13th-14th centuries, together with the image of the Santo Niño de Atocha and Neo-Romanesque stained-glass windows depicting the mysteries of the rosary. The Dominicans look after the church.

Things to do at Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha: 3 missions

• Look for the image of the Santo Niño de AtochaFind in the church the image of the Santo Niño de Atocha, venerated separately from the Virgin.
• Count the mysteries of the rosary in the stained glassWalk along the nave and find the Neo-Romanesque stained-glass windows depicting the mysteries of the rosary.
• Find the Gothic carving of the Virgin of AtochaLook at the high altar for the image of the Virgin of Atocha, carved between the 13th and 14th centuries.

Near Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha

Source: esmadrid.com (Turismo oficial de Madrid)