3427 SPAIN (Community of Madrid) - Almudena Cathedral

Consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993, Almudena Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. Plans to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena were discussed as early as the 16th century but even though Spain built more than 40 cities in the new world during that century, the cost of expanding and keeping the Empire came first and the construction of Madrid's cathedral was postponed. Because making the cathedral the largest that the world had ever seen was a priority, the construction of Almudena only began in 1879.

Francisco de Cubas, the Marquis of Cubas, designed and directed the construction in a Gothic revival style. Construction ceased completely during the Spanish Civil War, and the project was abandoned until 1950, when Fernando Chueca Goitia adapted the plans to a baroque exterior to match the grey and white façade of the Palacio Real, which stands directly opposite. In 2004 the marriage of King Felipe VI, then crown prince, to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano took place at the cathedral. The Neo-Gothic interior is uniquely modern, with chapels and statues of contemporary artists, in heterogeneous styles, from historical revivals to "pop-art" decor.

About the stamps
The first stamp, depicting grapes, is part of the series of definitives stamps, Fruits, about which I wrote here. The second stamp, actually a vignete, is part of the forever stamps series The 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad, about which I wrote here.

The last stamp, a Forever one, was issued on January 11, 2020 to mark the beginning of the Lunar New Year, celebrating the Year of the Rat. The rat is the first of the 12 zodiac animal signs associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. Those born during the Year of the Rat may be seen as very clever, self-aware and highly social. The Year of the Rat begins January 25, 2020, and ends February 11, 2021. With blue as the predominant color - said to be one of the lucky colors for individuals born during the Year of the Rat - the rat mask in the stamp design incorporates elements with symbolic meaning. Several of the patterns were created with the style of Asian textiles and the circle in the center of the rat’s head represents the new moon on which the Lunar New Year begins. A pop of the very lucky color red ties the design in with other common celebratory decorations. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Camille Chew. The Year of the Rat stamp is the first stamp in the third series of celebrating Lunar New Year. The first series ran from 1992 to 2005 and the second series from 2008 to 2019.

References

Almudena Cathedral - Wikipedia

Sender: Denise
Sent from Glen Head (New York / United States), on 18.01.2020
Photo: Miguel Hernandez