Calle de San Antonio

Behind this short street in Cuatro Caminos stands Saint Anthony of Padua, the thirteenth-century Portuguese friar who preached across Italy and died in Padua in 1231. Born in Lisbon around 1195, he became famous for his sermons; people invoke him to find what is lost and, by tradition, to find a sweetheart or spouse. His name recurs throughout this stretch of the district. In 1918 a neo-Mudéjar market named after Saint Anthony opened nearby, and in 1947 the Capuchins inaugurated at Bravo Murillo, 150, the sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua. Between the market, the parish, and the matchmaking saint, Saint Anthony was sewn into the memory of Cuatro Caminos. The dedication is unmistakable: the saint who appears on prints with the Child in his arms and a lily in his hand. Whoever passes by on June 13, his feast day, still crosses a district that comes out to celebrate him.