The first performance of the 2010 Incantato Spain Tour of The San Marino Chamber Choir will be at the Iglesia de San Ginés in Madrid. SMCC is the featured guest choir for High Mass on Easter Sunday starting at 6 pm and is also presenting a short concert after the service concludes. Have a closer look at this amazing venue:
San Ginés is situated on the Calle Arenal, a pedestrian and traffic-free zone. References to San Ginés appear in documents dating from the ninth century. Originally built in Mudejar style (Iberian architecture and decoration), it was one of the churches of the medieval Madrid, of Mozarab origi
n, from between the 12th and 13th centuries, and its name comes from the fact that it was dedicated to the patron saint of notaries and secretaries, Saint Genesius of Arles. San Ginés was rebuilt in 1645. The church has a Latin cross plan, three naves separated by semicircular arches and several side chapels and the altarpieces belong to the neoclassical-romantic school. It was, however, completely reconstructed after suffering several fires, so few remnants of the original church, such as the majestic bell-tower, remain. In 1870, the loggia and atrium facing the Calle Arenal were added. In the Santísimo Cristo Chapel there are artworks by Alonso Cano, Luca Giordano, and el Greco.One of the most curious items you can find in San Ginés is a stuffed crocodile, which is said to have been brought over from the Americas during the reign of the Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabel.
The picture is from the website www.gomadrid.com.
