Royal Oratory of the Knight of Grace

The Royal Oratory of the Knight of Grace is one of the architectural treasures hidden in the center of Madrid. It is a church that appears small from the outside because its door is tucked into a corner of the Gran Vía, but inside it opens onto a neoclassical temple by Juan de Villanueva that resembles a small Roman basilica. Inside, noteworthy features include the single-piece granite columns, the vaulted ceiling, and the carvings of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, signed by Francisco Elías in 1825, and Christ of the Agony, which studies indicate is the work of Juan Sánchez Barba in 1650. The church belongs to the Eucharistic Association of the Knight of Grace, founded by Jacobo Gratti (known as the Knight of Grace), born in Modena in 1517 and died in Madrid in 1619. Currently, the spiritual care of the Oratory is entrusted to priests of Opus Dei.