Almudena is a Catholic church in Madrid, Spain. When the Spanish capital was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the Spanish church remained in Toledo, and the new capital did not have a cathedral. Plans to build the Cathedral of Notre Dame Almudena were discussed in Madrid as early as the 16th century, but although Spain built more than 40 cities in the New World in that century, the cathedrals and fortresses were numerous, expanding and preserving the cost of the Empire first, Construction of the cathedral in Madrid was delayed. Therefore, making the cathedral the world's largest is a priority. All other major cities in Spain have centuries old churches, and Madrid has old churches, but the construction of Almudena began in 1879. The cathedral was not completed until 1993, when it was dedicated by Pope John Paul II.