Almudena Cathedral, Madrid, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday

 Today's weathervane was spotted above the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, Spain.  There are three identical weathervanes on the two spires and the main dome above this cathedral.  

The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of the Almudena is opposite the Royal Palace.  It is not as ancient as many other cathedrals in Spain.  Construction was started in 1883 and it took 100 years to complete. It was dedicated in 1993 by Pope John Paul II.  The royal crypt inside contains many members of King Felipe VI's family and the nobility.  The king was married in this cathedral, too.  

We were visiting the Royal Collections Gallery museum when we spotted these weathervanes.  This museum is brand new, and it just opened this year. There was a fantastic special exhibit of royal transportation vehicles, including many royal coaches and several early automobiles.  There is also a museum inside the cathedral. 

The weathervanes above the cathedral are very simple.  The large vane is a simple banner with the initial MA for Maria Almudena.  There is an elaborate scroll work cross above the vane, and a gilded ball below. 

For the truly curious:

Wikipedia Almudena Cathedral- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almudena_Cathedral   

Other Madrid weathervanes featured at this blog:

Madrid Air Museum -  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/08/madrid-spain-air-museum-for-weathervane.html  

Our Lady of the Angels, Madrid -  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-church-in-madrid-for-weathervane.html   

Gas Station, Madrid -  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-gas-station-in-madrid-spain-for.html  

San Antonio, Madrid-  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/06/weathervane-wednesday-family-church-in.html  

San Jeronimo, Madrid-  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/03/weathervane-wednesday-7-headed-dragon.html  

Click here to see over 500 more Weathervane Wednesday posts!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Almudena Cathedral, Madrid, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 3, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/01/almudena-cathedral-madrid-spain-for.html: accessed [access date]).