Near Madrid, the "cathedral" in recycled materials, built by a former monk

Described as "crazy" at the start of his business, this man, who had to give up his vocation as a monk because of tuberculosis, died in November 2021 at the age of 96.

Built on a vacant lot in Mejorada del Campo, the "Cathedral of Justo", which is not recognized as a place of worship by religious authorities, today has an area of ​​4.700m2, a central nave of 50 meters high. long and 20 m wide, 35 m high and twelve towers in Gothic or Byzantine style.

Justo Gallego has devoted more than half of his life to it, using broken bricks, paint cans or cans and moving forward meter after meter, without having a plan.

Visiting the premises after receiving the Princess of Asturias Prize, the famous British architect Norman Foster told him: "it is to you that we should have given this prize", Juan Carlos Arroyo, engineer told AFP on Friday. and architect whose company, Calter Ingeniería, studies the solidity of the construction which still needs to be regularized.

Too weakened to work in recent years, Justo has ceded the work of his life to the charitable organization of the Messengers of Peace of Father Angel, a well-known religious and media in Spain, who will be responsible for completing the construction of the temple. .

"In the Justo style"

Born in 1925 in Mejorada del Campo, in a family of farmers, he began to build this temple dedicated to the "Virgin of the Pillar" at the age of 27 after having to leave monastic life and come back to his village. .

Wink, it is in the street Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926), builder of the Sagrada Familia of Barcelona unfinished at his death and which is still not finished.

An architect that Justo despised for having wanted to imitate nature when his sole desire was to build a Roman temple.

According to Juan Carlos Arroyo, the cathedral of Mejorada del Campo is more "Gothic in architectural terms, because of its finesse, the scale of construction" but it is above all "in the Justo style".

"The structure withstood major weather events throughout its construction", he adds, saying he is convinced that it will only require "small surgical interventions".

Which is surprising, given the materials used. “Recycling is all the rage today, but (Justo) used it 60 years ago when nobody was talking about it” and “he created an aesthetic, a beautiful aesthetic”.

People in need

Father Angel would like Justo's Cathedral to be a place open to all faiths but also to people in need.

"I dare say that there are too many cathedrals and too many churches and that sometimes we especially need them to be full," he said in front of the altar. "It will not be a cathedral per se but a social center where people can come to pray" or if they "have difficulties"

Inside the building, volunteers working under the direction of Angel López, who has been helping Justo Gallego for 24 years, mingle with visitors entering and leaving. Like Ramon Calvo, 74, who came from Madrid with his former classmates.

"If the means, especially economic ones, are put in to complete it, it will be a very beautiful temple. And given the history it has, it will deserve to be visited, as we are in the process of doing", he said, claiming to be "convinced" that Justo Gallego had received a "message" before embarking on such a venture.