The historic city center of Granada boasts two emblematic churches replete of treasures of Art: the mighty Renaissance Cathedral and the Royal Chapel, pantheon of the Catholic Monarchs.
They constitute the most significant monuments of the Christian Granada, erected after the conquest of the last stronghold of the Muslim Spain in 1492 by the armies of Isabella and Ferdinand.
They appear as the unequivocal symbol of the triumph of Christianity in the heart of Granada, just next to some other monuments dating back to the medieval Islamic city, like the Madrasa (university), the Alcaicería (once the silk market) and a Moorish caravanserai from the 14th century.
We,ll visit significant Christian and Islamic monuments of the historic center of Granada.
The Royal Chapel, which houses the tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, Joanna the Mad and Philip the Handsome, under magnificent cenotaphs carved on Carrara marble. The funerary chapel possesses masterpieces of painting, sketched by Flemish and Italian artists, like Hans Memling, Van der Weyden and Botticelli.
The Cathedral, one of the largest Renaissance churches in the world, houses lavish chapels and altarpieces in the exalted Spanish baroque style
Next to these churches, you will discover extraordinary vestiges of the medieval Islamic city, like an unique Caravansarai,today known as El Corral del Carbón, or La Madraza, which was the University founded by the nasrid Sultan Yusuf I( S.XIV) and the Alcaicería (once the silk market)
In 1492, the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold of Europe, falls victim to the conquest of the Catholic Kings, through this important crusade, becoming the “new Jerusalem of the West.”
In an evangelizing and Christianizing effort, the city of Granada underwent important transformations, such as the construction of the imposing Cathedral, which shelters up to three different architectural styles, and which was erected on the site of the old Great Mosque.
Likewise, this emblematic city, symbol of the triumph of Christianity, was chosen by Queen Elizabeth as the Pantheon of Christian royalty, with the Royal Chapel being the maximum exponent of that intention.
Cathedral and Capilla Real will be protagonists in this visit for the monumental center of Granada, where we will unravel its symbolism, the architectural richness, as well as the magnificent artistic works, among which are the fabulous treasure, the spectacular maussoleums made in marble of Carrara or the impressive collection of flamenco paintings
