 |
| The Royal Chapel |
At the centre of Granada stands the
Gothic Cathedral of Santa María de la Encarnación
(1523-1703), containing the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real) with the
tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella. In the northeast of the city is
the Albaicín quarter, which is the oldest section of Granada.
Albaicín is bounded on the south by the Darro River, and
on the other side of the river is the hill upon which stands the
famous Moorish palace, the Alhambra, as well as the Alcazaba fortress
that guarded it and the Generalife, which was the summer palace
of the Moorish sultans. South of the city centre is the administrative
and commercial section of Granada, while to the west is the modern
residential sector.
One of Spain's most frequently visited tourist centres,
Granada contains many notable architectural and artistic monuments.
The city is the seat of an archbishop, and it is dotted with fine
Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical churches, convents, monasteries,
hospitals, palaces, and mansions. The aforementioned cathedral at
the city's centre is profusely ornamented with jasper and coloured
marble, and its interior contains many fine paintings and sculptures
by Alonso Cano.
The Cartuja, or Carthusian monastery (1516), stands
in the north of the city. Near the restored monastery of San Jerónimo
(1492) is the University of Granada, which was founded in 1526 and
received its charter in 1531; it is now housed in a former Jesuit
college.
Back to top
|
