Justo Gallego Martínez

Justo Gallego Martínez (20 September 1925 – 28 November 2021); also known by his honorific byname Don Justo, was a Spanish amateur architect and builder who was known for constructing a church building in the dimensions of a cathedral on his own in the town of Mejorada del Campo from 1961 until his death. Most of the construction materials used were recycled or made from "junk". Don Justo dedicated the building to Our Lady of the Pillar .

Early life and inspiration Justo Gallego Martínez grew up as a farmer. His mother, who was very pious, instilled in him a strong Catholic faith. According to his own words he loved the Church and "put everything on this". Justo's school education was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War.

Cathedral of Justo

Justo had promised that if he recovered from the tuberculosis which had struck him down, he would build a shrine in honour of Our Lady of the Pillar, to whom he had prayed. So, he began to build on a plot of land he had inherited from his parents. On 12 October 1961 (the feast of the Our Lady of the Pillar), Gallego commenced building the Cathedral of Justo. There never were formal plans for the building, which locally was called "the cathedral from junk". Justo initially just levelled the ground and mapped out the groundworks on-site.

Most of the building materials and tools used for construction are recycled. This includes everyday objects and excess construction materials donated by construction companies and a nearby brick factory. For instance, the columns have been moulded with old petrol drums. The building work has been carried out without any crane.

Support and finance

Although Justo Gallego worked mainly alone for nearly 60 years, he was assisted by a local named Ángel López Sánchez. Shortly before his death, Don Justo bequeathed his enormous building to the non-governmental organization Messengers of Peace , which committed itself to completing his life's work. The building does not have formal planning permission or building permits from the authorities of Mejorada del Campo or support of the Roman Catholic Church. The town authorities, however, have named the street on which the project has been rising "Calle Antonio Gaudí", after the architect behind another famous unfinished church, the Sagrada Família.

Death Gallego Martínez died in Madrid on 28 November 2021, at the age of 96. He had died within the Cathedral and had requested that he be buried in its crypt, but was buried instead in Mejorada del Campo’s cemetery after local government officials found that the crypt did not meet Spanish sanitation rules.

Reception and legacy A brief documentary on Don Gallego's work was produced in 2006 by the Latin American version of Discovery Channel, in which Gallego explained his vision. The work has also been noted in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 2016, he was featured in a two-minute video published by Great Big Story. Another documentary film titled The Cathedral was directed by Denis Dobrovoda and released in 2023.

During his life, Don Justo was described by Catholics as a "fool for Christ" owing to his eccentricity and dedication to the construction of his cathedral.