Stop #14:
The Alhambra and the tomb of Catholic Monarchs are the biggest attractions of Granada. I have reserved the Alhambra photos for a separate portfolio and it will be obvious why. The place is one of Spain’s most visited attractions.
We stayed very close to the Alhambra at a B&B called Casa Morisca. The owner/architect converted a 15th-century building into a hotel. Per Fodor’s, Casa Morisca is named after the term that was given to the Muslims who stayed on in Granada after the city came under Catholic rule in the late-1400’ s. Many of these “moriscos” were artisans who decorated houses using materials and designs traditional to their culture, such as arches and wooden ceilings. This hotel offers exactly those materials.
Highlights:
- Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) – This is one of the main reasons Granada is visited. Catholic Monarchs Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragón are buried at this shrine. The Gothic style chapel is pictured below. I vistied at night, so you won’t see lots of color in the stained glass windows. The Chapel is next door to the Cathedral, which I visted the next morning. Ferdinand and Isabella lay beside one another in the crypt. The altarpiece has 34 carved panels depicting religious and historical scenes, including one scene where the keys to Granada are handed over by the Moors.
- Cathedral – Carlos V commissioned the cathedral in 1521 because he considered the Royal Chapel “too small for so much glory”. Originally planned to house his grandparents, their crypt remains today int eh Capilla Real. The bright pictures of a large cathedral below are this building. I was most impressed by the ceiling!
- Night shots of every day street life. I tried to get some photos of the meats hanging from rafters, desserts on display everywhere, beautiful colorful lights, old bridges, and town fortress walls.
- Sierra Nevadas – driving into Granada, which is at the base of the mountains, you have great views of the range.
Thanks to Fodor’s Travel Guides, Trip Advisor, and Wikipedia for the great lessons that helped me to plan and summarize this trip.
