Architects of Madrid: Francisco de Cubas
The arrival to the throne of Elizabeth II in 1833 coincides with the beginning of a stage in architecture marked by medievalist historicism, in line with romantic thought and the ideas of Viollet-le-Duc. Some of the most representative buildings of this trend are built by Madrid's Francisco de Cubas y González-Montes, representative of the neo-Gothic.
Brief biographical sketch
Francisco de Cubas (Madrid, 1827- 1899)
He was born in 1827 and at 18 he entered the newly founded School of Architecture, where he would be a disciple of Narciso Pascual y Colomer. At the age of 25, he obtained a pension to study in Rome, a stage that he took advantage of to travel through Italy, Greece, Central Europe and Paris. Upon his return to Madrid three years later, he graduated as an architect and began to make a name for himself among bourgeois and aristocratic society.
In addition to being a renowned architect, he will be a businessman, a deputy in the Cortes and, for 25 days in 1892, the mayor of Madrid. Shortly before his death in 1899 he received the title of Marquis, awarded for his charitable work. He will be buried in what is probably his most emblematic project, the Almudena Cathedral, in 1899.
Works
Following in the footsteps of the Marqués de Salamanca, other members of wealthy high society built their residences on the new axis of Paseo de Recoletos and the adjacent streets of the Ensanche. Along these lines, Cubas built neo-Renaissance palaces for the Marquis of Alcañices, for Francisco López-Dóriga and that of Arenzana, today the French Embassy.
A more classic and institutional style follows in the Anthropological Museum that builds for the collection of the doctor Pedro González Velasco, germ and headquarters of the current National Museum of Anthropology. At this time the expansion became a new space for real estate investment in which the new fortunes became promoters of rental housing. For them, Cubas builds several buildings, including those known as Casas Salabert, declared a Property of Patrimonial Interest in 2011.
On the other hand, the religious fervor that resurfaces when the monarchy is restored leads to the construction of numerous churches and convents, for which the recovery of medieval styles was established, especially the Gothic. Along these lines, he built, among others, the convent of the Servants of Jesus in Chamberí, and two more works that he will not see finished: the church of Sta. Cruz on Atocha street, with its neo-Mudejar tower and what is surely his most emblematic project: the Almudena Cathedral. Cubas reformed its initial project as a parish church, proposing an imposing large neo-Gothic cathedral, with a Latin cross plan and side chapels.The construction work began with the crypt, built in a neo-romantic style, with independent access from the Cuesta de la Vega and opened for worship in 1911. After Cubas's death, Enrique María Repullés y Vargas took over, which in turn is replaced by Juan Moya, who already made substantial reforms on the initial project. In 1944, the general director of Fine Arts, Marqués de Lozoya, promoted a national competition to give the Cathedral a new architectural solution, which was won by Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro. These, change the initial project to adapt it to the environment, and obtain with it the National Architecture Prize of 1944. The result is the current Cathedral, with some modifications that have arisen over these 50 years.
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