Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid

Madrid's cathedral took over 100 years to build, due to political conflicts, wars, and a lack of financial resources. According to legend, it's named after the Virgen de la Almudena, whose icon was found during the Reconquest hidden in a house that was called Al Mudena in Arabic. The building's exterior is an example of eclectic 19th-century design. The doors are bronze and there's an image of the Virgen (now Madrid's patron saint) on the façade. The interior is full of light, benefiting from the stained-glass windows and multi-colored ceiling. Its grand Grezing organ is played on Sundays and on holidays.