The three-story building is approximately 45,800-square-feet, with Italian marble on the exterior, and has a single spire with a statue of the angel Moroni. It is within a multi-building church-owned complex often referred to as Madrid’s “temple square.”[citation needed] The complex previously included an adjacent missionary training center (MTC), which was closed in 2019 as part of a global restructuring of church training facilities.
A groundbreaking took place on June 11, 1996, with Hinckley, who by then was serving as church president, presiding. It was the first time a church president had visited Spain.[citation needed] After construction was completed, a public open house was held in February and March 1999. The temple was dedicated between March 19 and 21, 1999, by Hinckley. During the trip to dedicate the temple, Hinckley met King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía at the royal palace.[citation needed]
History
On April 4, 1993, Gordon B. Hinckley, then first counselor in the First Presidency, announced during general conference that property was being acquired for a temple in Spain.[citation needed] The site was then identified as being in Madrid on October 9, 1993.[1][2] The temple complex occupies 3.5 acres in the Pavones neighborhood of Moratalaz (Madrid) at Calle del Templo 2.[1][3]
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 11, 1996, presided over by Hinckley, and attended by more than 2,000 people, marking his first visit to Spain as church president.[1][4] The multi-building complex includes a meetinghouse, family history center, patron and missionary housing, and distribution center. These were completed by early 1999.[5][6]
A public open house was held February 20–March 13, 1999, with approximately 7,000 visitors touring the temple on its first day, including Spanish, Portuguese, and French members.[1][7] Following the open house, the dedication took place March 19–21, 1999, conducted in ten sessions by Hinckley.[1][8]
The temple was the first in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula, serving church members throughout Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands, and southern France.[1][8] The MTC on the complex opened in 1999, and was closed in January 2019 following the church’s announcement of adjustments to international MTC operations.[9][10]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, temple operations were paused before resuming full worship services in May 2022.[11]
Design and architecture
The Madrid Spain Temple is a modern-classical design, with an exterior of Italian Camaro marble, creating a white appearance in order to stand out from nearby older buildings made with gray stone.[1][4] The design was created by a local architecture firm.[4]
The temple is on a 3.5-acre (≈1.4 ha) parcel at Calle del Templo 2, part of a large church campus including a meetinghouse, family history center, distribution center, housing facilities, and an eight-story office building—an area often referred to as Madrid’s “temple square.”[1][12] Landscaping includes Spanish olive trees, Mediterranean cypress, and a large fountain at the plaza entrance.[1] The words ““Holiness to the Lord: The House of the Lord” are above a front facing window.[13]
The temple is approximately 45,800 square feet, and is 116 by 138 feet.[1][14] It has a single spire with a statue of the angel Moroni, which symbolizes the restoration of the gospel, and his role in Latter-day Saint belief that he delivered the golden plates (which later became the Book of Mormon) to church founder Joseph Smith.[15][16].[1][4] The temple has four instruction rooms, four sealing rooms, and a [{Baptism for the dead|baptistry]].[4][6]
Cultural and community impact
Before the 1999 public open house, representatives from Spain’s major media outlets, educators, and government leaders, including the mayor of Madrid, José María Álvarez del Manzano, and the personal confessor to the King of Spain, Bartolome Vicens Fiol, visited the temple.[7] Fiol stated he was touched by the beauty of the temple, and that he was the first official visitor sent from by the Vatican that was received by the church in Salt Lake City.[7]
When Hinkley visited Spain for the open house and dedication, he and church representatives met King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía at the royal palace in Madrid, where he presented the royal couple with a Lladró “Christus” figurine, along with CDs by the Tabernacle Choir.[17][18] Hinkley remarked that the visit was very pleasant, and that the king gave him a “warm embrace” at the end of their meeting.[18]
Temple leadership and admittance
The church's temples are directed by a temple president and matron, each typically serving for a term of three years. The president and matron oversee the administration of temple operations and provide guidance and training for both temple patrons and staff. Serving from 1999 to 2002, W. Clive Barney was the temple's first president, with Jean L. Barney serving as matron.[19][20] F. Burton Howard, an emeritusgeneral authority, served as temple president from 2005 to 2008.[21][22] As of September 2025, Rafael M. Campos is the president, with V. Teresa Toledo serving as matron.[23][24]
Admittance
A public open house in February and March 1999 preceded the temple’s dedication.[1] Like all the church's temples, it is not used for Sunday worship services. To members of the church, temples are regarded as sacred houses of the Lord. Once dedicated, only church members with a current temple recommend can enter for worship.[13]
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