The Paseo de Recoletos is hosting a photographic exhibition this week that documents the visits of John Paul II and Benedict XVI to Madrid. The exhibition, titled 'Papal Visits to Madrid', brings together 22 photographs selected from historical archives and will be open to the public until June 7.
The inauguration was attended by local authorities, including Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Tourism Councilor Almudena Maíllo, and Center President Carlos Segura. The event took place on the stretch of Paseo de Recoletos between the squares of Cibeles and Colón, where the exhibition panels are displayed.
“"I am sure these are photos that we all have in our minds and that remind us of those visits, both for the number of people who were there and for the special moments that could be experienced during those days, which will be very similar to what we will experience between June 6 and 9 in the city of Madrid."
The images, displayed on a dozen supports, offer a visual journey through key moments in Madrid's religious history related to these pontiffs.
John Paul II visited Madrid on three occasions: from October 31 to November 3, 1982; from June 15 to 16, 1993, coinciding with the consecration of the Almudena Cathedral; and from May 3 to 4, 2003, to preside over the canonization of five Spanish blesseds. For his part, Benedict XVI was in the capital from August 18 to 21, 2011, for the XXVI World Youth Day.
