Alcalá de Henares Cathedral

Alcalá de Henares Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

The Cathedral of Saints Justus and Pastor stands on the Plaza de los Santos Niños in the old town of Alcalá de Henares, about thirty minutes from Madrid by train, and entry to the cathedral is free outside services, while the tower and the museum can be visited with a ticket. Alcalá de Henares is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as the first planned university city, and it is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.

Walking tours of Alcalá combine the cathedral with the University of Alcalá's Colegio de San Ildefonso, the Cervantes Birthplace Museum, the Calle Mayor with its arcades and the Archbishop's Palace. The cathedral is one of only two churches in the world with the title of Magistral, meaning all its canons had to be doctors of theology. Storks nest on the cathedral's tower. Trains from Madrid's Atocha and Chamartín stations to Alcalá de Henares run frequently.

Visiting Alcalá de Henares Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral is dedicated to the Santos Niños, the child saints Justus and Pastor, two young brothers martyred here in 304 during the persecution of Diocletian, and a chapel was built over their tomb. The present church was rebuilt between 1497 and 1515 in the late Gothic style, known as Isabelline Gothic, by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, founder of the university, and designed by the brothers Antón and Enrique Egas. It was badly damaged by fire in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, and it was restored afterwards. Inside, the cathedral has three naves with ribbed vaults, and the crypt holds the relics of the child saints and the tombs of other saints and bishops.

The tower, completed in the sixteenth century, can be climbed for views over the city and its storks. The cathedral museum displays religious art and silverwork. The cathedral's choir stalls are carved in wood, and the crypt's chapel holds the relics of the Santos Niños in a silver urn. The main altarpiece was rebuilt after the war. The cathedral's portal is decorated with the coat of arms of Cardinal Cisneros. The tower's viewing platform offers views of the storks' nests on the roofs of the old town. The cathedral museum displays chalices, monstrances and paintings. The square in front of the cathedral has a statue of the Santos Niños. The cathedral's exterior walls are made of brick and stone. The cloister holds tombs of canons.

Alcalá de Henares Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with a break at lunchtime. Alcalá de Henares is busy during the Cervantes Week in October, when the city holds a medieval market and events celebrating the writer, and during Holy Week. The Tenorio, a traditional play, is performed in November. Summer is hot, and spring and autumn are pleasant. The storks can be seen from February to August. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral and tower, and visit the University and the Cervantes Birthplace Museum. The Colegio de San Ildefonso, the historic university building, has a Plateresque facade and offers guided tours of the Paraninfo hall.