The Pantheon of Illustrious Sailors is a Neoclassical building located in the enclosure of the Military Town of San Carlos, a group of buildings commissioned by Charles III to house Navy departments and offices.
Initially conceived as the Church of the Most Pure Conception, Patron Saint of Spain and its Indies, its construction began in the late 18th century (2nd July 1786), although due to economic and political problems, it was not completed until the mid-20th century.
In 1850, a Royal Order was issued allocating the site of the old church to the Pantheon of Illustrious Sailors, a place where young students from the recently created Naval College (1845) received the example of those heroes by remembering their virtues.
The Director General of the Navy was responsible for investigating and notifying the celebrated men who were worthy of having a place in the Pantheon.
The most important part of the interior of the Pantheon are the mausoleums of the Illustrious Sailors located in the side nave sections, including those of Jorge Juan y Santacilia, Antonio de Escaño, Pascual Cervera y Topete, Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán, José González Hontoria, Cayetano Valdés y Flores and the spectacular monument dedicated to the Navy and Troop classes. Starting from the dome, a silver votive lamp weighing 50 kilos and varnished with the coat of arms of the Admirals falls to the middle of the central nave.
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