Basílica de San Francisco el Grande

This huge, multi-tiered church between Puerta de Toledo and the Palacio Real is difficult to miss. A monastery on the site, reputedly founded by Saint Francis of Assisi, was knocked down in 1760; in its place, between 1761 and 1784, Francisco Cabezas, and later Francesco Sabatini, built this neo-classical church. Most challenging was the construction of the spectacular dome, with a diameter of 33m (108ft). Inside there is an early Goya, 'The Sermon of San Bernardino of Siena' (1781), and several frescoes by other artists dating from the 17th century to the 19th century.