The Basílica de San Francisco el Grande – an architectural and visual masterpiece crowning La Latina, Madrid's oldest neighborhood – is both a place of Catholic worship and a temple honoring Spanish art. Its marble and gold inlaid chapels and sacristy house an incredible array of paintings by Spanish masters, the most famous of which being Francisco Goya's St. Bernardino of Siena preaching to Alfonso V of Aragon. The Basilica's grand dome, with a diameter of 33 meters and a height of 58 meters, is the largest in Spain and fourth largest in Europe after those of Saint Peter's Basilica, the Pantheon in Rome, and the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. The history of this venerated Spanish building stretches back to the 13th century, when legend has it that Saint Francis of Assisi erected a small abode near a hermitage on his pilgrimage to Compostela. Over the years, the structure expanded and was made grander, until it was completely demolished in 1760 in order to construct an even bigger and more splendid church. King Carlos III then commissioned a Franciscan monk, Fray Francisco Cabezas, to begin the project. Seven years later, the renowned Italian architect, Francesco Sabatini, took over the task and the royal church was finally consecrated in 1784. In 1963, it was given the title of Basilica Minor by Pope John XXIII.

Upon entering the doors of the Basilica, visitors are left in awe of the grandeur and artistry within the walls. Frescoes, stained glass windows, sculptures of apostles and prophets, and trompe-l'œil paintings of saints all adorn this sacred space, and six lavish chapels encircle the main altar. Each chapel is an individual museum unto itself, representing different epochs of Spanish decorative art, from Baroque to Byzantine and Renaissance to Rococo. One of the chapels, the Chapel of St. Bernardino of Siena, displays Goya's famous painting of the same name. The painting also contains a self-portrait of the artist, dressed in yellow on the right-hand side.