The Church of St. Jerome is located on a small rise behind the main building of the Prado Museum. It was built in 1505 as the main church of the monastery of the Order of St. Jerome, founded in Madrid in the mid-15th century.
The history of the church is directly connected with the history of the royal family. It was here that, beginning with the construction in the 17th century of the Royal Palace in Buen Retiro Park and until the consecration in 1993 of Almudena Cathedral, all the major events in the life of the royal dynasty took place: coronations, weddings, funerals. In 1975, Juan Carlos I - the current King of Spain - was the last to be crowned in this church.
Today, the ancient and very beautiful church building, designed in the traditional Gothic style, attracts numerous tourists and pilgrims. The church doors are open to all who wish to visit both during service hours and at other times.
