Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great
Neoclassical basilica with Europe's fourth-largest dome and a hidden Goya self-portrait inside.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great in Madrid centers on a young Francisco Goya, invited in 1781 along with six other painters to contribute an altarpiece for the new basilica, and the gamble he took by painting his own face into the crowd of onlookers. You'll hear how the commission shaped his standing at court, and how the building itself survived being turned into a barracks and left in ruins by occupying French troops decades later. Look for the man in the painting who is not watching the preacher at all.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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