Church of San Antonio, Baroque church in Aranjuez, Spain
Church of San Antonio is a baroque structure in Aranjuez featuring a circular design and a dominating dome at its center. Its entrance facade displays five white limestone arches supported by Tuscan pilasters arranged in an orderly manner.
The building was designed in 1752 by Santiago Bonavia and Jaime Marquet to replace an older oratory that once served King Philip IV. It arose as a royal chapel built for the court during Spain's Bourbon period.
The church was built as a private royal chapel and remains deeply connected to the Spanish monarchy's life in this palace town. Walking around it, you can sense how it was designed to serve the court rather than a broader parish community.
The church sits at Plaza de San Antonio, within easy walking distance from the Royal Palace. Be aware that it is integrated into the larger palace complex, with red-brick arched walkways extending from its sides.
Red-brick arched walkways connect both nearby palace buildings from either side of the main portico. This unusual design choice makes the church function as a central connection point between the court buildings rather than as an isolated structure.
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