A Man Who Has Been Building a Cathedral for Fifty Years with Almost Nothing
Justo Gallego Martínez, after leaving the monastery, decided to build his own church and has been constructing a magnificent structure for 50 years with minimal resources, which remains incomplete to this day.
Justo Gallego Martínez is an 88-year-old Spanish elderly man who lives in a half-constructed building. He is constructing a cathedral with his own hands.
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For approximately fifty years, he has been doing this work without any assistance in the fields of painting, drafting, architecture, or engineering, and without financial support from the official church. Despite all these limitations, his church grows more beautiful and larger each day, which brings Martínez great joy.
Don Justo’s cathedral is located in a small town called Mejorada del Campo (near Madrid). Although much time remains before the completion of this structure, even this unfinished building is quite massive, featuring a 40-meter-high arch, towers, a monastery, and a courtyard.
This cathedral was built by Justo Gallego Martínez, who has never studied architecture or civil engineering. He drew his ideas and plans from paintings of medieval religious buildings.
The idea of building a cathedral for himself took shape in his mind right after he left the monastery.
He was forced to leave the monastery due to contracting an illness in his youth, but he continued to be determined to dedicate his life to serving God.
Justo Gallego Martínez sold or rented parts of his property and assets to obtain the initial funds needed to start his work, and on the remaining land, he began constructing the church building using whatever materials he could find.
He used empty gas cylinders for column bases and in some parts even used wire, cardboard boxes, and metal pieces for reinforcement.
For several decades, he has lived inside his under-construction church. Every day he wakes up at 3:30 a.m. and works throughout the day.
The main door of this church remains open from morning to night, welcoming every visitor.
Justo Gallego Martínez does not charge an entrance fee, but has placed collection boxes where anyone can contribute money, and many people do so.
Almost no part of this building is yet complete, but the overall appearance of the structure is quite stunning.
The Mejorada del Campo Cathedral has become Justo’s personal monastery, church, and private world, a place where he simultaneously serves as senior priest, bishop, and builder of the structure.
