Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha

Original project by Fernando Arbós y Tremanti for the basilica, belltower, and pantheon.

Our Lady of Atocha with rich dresses.

The Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha or Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha is a large church in central Madrid on Avenida de la Ciudad de Barcelona, 3.

It is one of the three basilica churches in Madrid, alongside the Our Father Jesús de Medinaceli and San Francisco el Grande.

The buildings on the site have a long history. The original name refers to a lost icon from a chapel which was found among some high grasses -referred to as tocha- during the time of the Reconquista. The old church was in disrepair and rebuilt in the 1890s in a Neo-Byzantine style designed by Fernando Arbós y Tremanti.

The church was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and reconstruction completed in 1951.

Adjacent to the church is the Pantheon of Illustrious Men or Panteón de Hombres Ilustres of Madrid. It holds the remains of only a former president of the council of ministers, José Canalejas, however it also contains a number of interesting monuments from and just after the turn of the 19th century.

Coordinates: 40°24′20″N 3°41′01″W / 40.4055°N 3.6837°W