Capilla del Puente, Madrid

Capilla del Puente is one of Madrid's most unusual places of worship — a chapel built inside a tunnel beneath the M-30 ring road, in the Puerta de Hierro area, where Avenida de Fuentelarreyna meets Calle Arroyofresno.

Where exactly is it located?

Also known as Capilla de Santo Domingo de la Calzada, the chapel sits in the northwestern part of the city, right next to the underground pedestrian passage running beneath Arroyofresno street. Few religious sites anywhere have such an unlikely address: built directly into the road structure of one of Madrid's busiest ring roads.

How did such an unusual chapel come to exist?

The chapel was built in 1978, repurposing the empty space beneath an M-30 overpass. It originally served as the seat of the parish of the Baptism of the Lord (Bautismo del Señor). When that parish later relocated to a new, larger building, local parishioners asked for the chapel to remain in use for worship — and it has stayed that way ever since, hosting regular services to this day.

What can visitors see inside?

The chapel's biggest draw is its architecture itself. The tunnel that houses it runs 35 meters long and takes the shape of a half-barrel vault with a 4.5-meter radius. The absence of natural light combined with the raw, enclosed structure gives the space an almost catacomb-like feel — a striking contrast rarely found in European chapels, and one that draws not only worshippers but also visitors curious about unconventional sacred architecture. The interior walls are lined with a covering that conceals a drainage system channeling water into four sewage wells, a solution that makes it possible for a chapel to function at all beneath a major road.

Why did the chapel need restoration work?

After the M-30 ring road came into full operation in its current form, the chapel began suffering from serious water infiltration and damp problems that threatened to force its closure. A thorough interior renovation followed, bringing the water infiltration under control without compromising the chapel's character. Today the discreet drainage system directing water to four sewage wells is invisible to visitors, and the chapel operates normally.

How do you get there?

Capilla del Puente sits in the Puerta de Hierro area, close to where Avenida de Fuentelarreyna crosses Calle Arroyofresno, in northwestern Madrid. The location is close to Casa de Campo and the Ciudad Universitaria complex, so it's easy to combine a visit with a walk through those green spaces. Driving or taking a taxi is the most practical way to get there — the nearest metro stations are some distance away, and the chapel itself sits in a road-oriented spot not really built for heavy foot traffic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Capilla del Puente different from a regular church? It was built entirely inside the structure of an M-30 overpass rather than as a freestanding building, which gives it its distinctive tunnel-like form.

Is the chapel still in use today? Yes. After the original parish moved to a new building, local residents asked for the space to remain a place of worship, and services still take place there.

How long is the tunnel that houses the chapel? It measures 35 meters and forms a half-barrel vault with a 4.5-meter radius.

Is it worth visiting even if you're not interested in the religious side? Definitely — it is one of the very few examples in Europe of a chapel adapted into road infrastructure, which makes it a genuine architectural curiosity on its own.