The history of this church is fundamental to the development of the city of Alcalá, to which is added the protection afforded by the Archbishops of Toledo as a sacred site. A church was built on the site of the ancient martyrium. It was rebuilt by Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, the driving force behind the construction of Toledo Cathedral, and became known as the Chapel of the Archbishops. It was then enlarged by Archbishop García Gudiel in 1290. At the request of Archbishop Carrillo, it was elevated to the status of Collegiate Church in 1477 by a bull issued by Pope Sixtus IV.
The great Spanish cardinal, Pedro González de Mendoza, brought the Renaissance to this church and, for Castile, an openness to new schools of thought. It was during this period, on December 15, 1485, that Queen Isabella I of Castile gave birth in Alcalá to the Infanta Catherine — the future Catherine of Aragon — who was baptized eight days later in the Collegiate Church (now a cathedral since 1991) by Cardinal Mendoza himself. The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, and their children — Prince Juan, then seven years old, and the Infantas Juana, Isabel, and María — attended the baptism.
The Monastery of San Bernardo, one of the most important monastic sites of the 17th century in Alcalá de Henares, was founded by the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas.
The interior is surprising, in deliberate contrast to the austere curtain-like façade, with its oval layout and the magnificent oval dome that covers it, the largest of its kind in Spain.
The building is the work of the architect Juan Gómez de Mora, the most important master of his time. Juan Gómez de Mora was linked to the royal architecture of Felipe II through his family and his training, although his own work was mainly carried out during the reigns of Felipe III and Felipe IV.
During the construction of this church, Juan Gómez de Mora alternated his work with royal projects, such as his involvement in the Pantheon of the Monastery of El Escorial and the Royal College of the Society of Jesus in Salamanca.
The church takes as its model the Roman church of Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri, designed by Vignola, which in turn is based on Serlio's Treatise on Architecture.
