Magistral Cathedral of Saints Justus and Pastor

Located in the heart of Alcalá de Henares’ historic center, in the Plaza de los Santos Niños, stands the Magistral Cathedral of Saints Justus and Pastor. As the mother church of the Diocese of Alcalá (the Complutensian diocese) and one of the most unique temples in the Community of Madrid, its location marks the ancient urban, political, and social heart of the medieval city.

The cathedral is built upon the site where, according to tradition, the children Justus and Pastor were martyred in the year 304 during the Diocletian persecution. A chapel was erected on that spot in the 5th century, eventually becoming a cathedral during the Visigothic era. After several periods of medieval destruction and reconstruction, it was elevated to a collegiate church in the 15th century. Under the patronage of Cardinal Cisneros, the current building was constructed between 1497 and 1515 in the Isabelline Gothic style.

Its title of "Magistral," granted in 1519, makes it—along with St. Peter’s Church in Leuven—one of only two temples in the world with this distinction. This title required all its canons to be doctors of theology, reflecting its close ties to the University of Alcalá. In 1991, with the restoration of the diocese, it regained its status as a cathedral.

Featuring a Latin cross plan with three naves covered by ribbed vaults, the building combines a restrained exterior with a richly decorated interior. Notable highlights include its Flamboyant Gothic portal, the imposing 203-foot (62-meter) Herrerian tower—begun by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón—and the 17th-century cloister, which houses the Interpretation Center and the Cathedral Museum.

In the ambulatory (girola), visitors can find the crypt containing the relics of the Holy Children, kept in a gold and silver urn. Among its chapels, the most prominent are those dedicated to the Virgen del Val, the patron saint of Alcalá, and Saint Diego of Alcalá.

Declared a National Monument in 1904 and restored after a devastating fire at the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, the Magistral Cathedral stands today as a historical, artistic, and spiritual landmark, witnessing over sixteen centuries of history in Alcalá de Henares.