The STATION (_Estación de los Ferrocarriles Andaluces_; Pl. B, 6; no
buffet) is 1¾ M. from the hotels in the Puerta Real and nearly 2 M.
from those near the Alhambra. Hotel-omnibus to the former 1, to the
latter 2 p.; an ‘omnibus general’ (50 c. each pers. or each trunk)
plies to the _Despacho Central_ (p. 51), opposite the Hot. Victoria.
=Hotels= (comp. p. 51). _Near the Alhambra_, in the Alhambra Park, a
beautiful, but in winter a cold situation, ¾ M. above the town (2–3
min. from the hill-tramway station; see below): HOT. WASHINGTON IRVING
(Pl. b; F, 2), with the dépendance SIETE SUELOS (Pl. c; F, 2),
patronized by English and Americans; ALHAMBRA PALACE HOTEL (Pl. a; F,
3), new, R. 6–12½, pens. 20–35 p.; *PENS. MISS LAIRD, Carmen de Bella
Vista, with garden, 8½–12 p. per day; HOT. DEL BOSQUE DE LA ALHAMBRA,
at the N. base of the Alhambra Hill, below the Torre de Comares (Pl.
E, 2), pens. 8–15 p., well spoken of.—_In the Town_ (ca. 1¾ M. from
the Alhambra): *HOT. ALAMEDA (Pl. d; F, 5), adjoining the shady
Carrera del Genil, with view of the Sierra Nevada, pens. 8–20 p.; HOT.
DE PARIS (Pl. e; E, 4), Gran Via de Colón 5, with terrace, restaurant,
etc., pens. 9–20 p.; HOT. VICTORIA, on the W. side of the Puerta Real,
with fine view, pens. from 8 p., Spanish, quite good; HOT. NUEVO
ORIENTE (Pl. g; E, 5), Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo 8, pens. 7 p.,
quite Spanish, very fair; FONDA NAVÍO, Calle Martínez Campos (Pl. E,
5), with a favourite restaurant.—Drinking-water not good.
=Cafés.= _Café Colón_, Calle de los Reyes Católicos (Pl. E, 4);
_Imperial_, Carrera del Genil (Pl. F, 5).
=Tramways.= 1. _Plaza Nueva_ (Pl. E, 4)-_Cocheras_ (red disc): through
the Calle de los Reyes Católicos (Pl. E, 4, 5) to the Puerta Real, the
University (Pl. D, 5), and the Rail. Station (Pl. B, A, 6).—2. _Plaza
Nueva-Cervantes_ (yellow): viâ the Puerta Real and the Carrera del
Genil to the Paseo de la Bomba (Pl. G, H, 4).—3. _Puerta Real_ (Pl. E,
5)-_Vistillas-Alhambra_ (green): viâ the Plaza Nueva to the Puerta de
los Molinos (Pl. G, 3; change), then by the hill-tramway
(rack-and-pinion) to the Alhambra Park (Cuesta de las Cruces; Pl. F,
2, 3), in ¼ hr.; fare 30 c.
=Cabs= (stationed in the Carrera del Genil). Drive in the town, with
one horse 1, with two horses 2½ p.; per hour 2 or 3 p.—To the
Alhambra, Albaicín (p. 79), and Sacro Monte (p. 78) 5 p. extra (but
bargain advisable). Carr. and pair may be had also from the Despacho
Central or the Alhambra hotels (3 p. per hour).
=Post & Telegraph Office= (_Correo_; Pl. E, 4), Calle de los Reyes
Católicos. Post-office open 10–12 and after 2; poste restante letters
delivered 1 hr. after arrival of trains.
=British Vice-Consul=, _Chas. E. S. Davenhill_.
=Sights.= _Alhambra_ (p. 79), daily, 9–12 and 1–6, adm. 50 c.–1 p., on
Sun. free; some rooms specially shown by the custodian.—_Generalife_
(p. 87), best by morning light; tickets (papeletas) at the Casa de los
Tiros (p. 77), on week-days, 9–11, free.—The _Cathedral_ (p. 76),
daily, closed between 11 and 2.30; the _Capilla Real_ (p. 76), either
in the morning before high-mass (in winter at 10, in summer at 9), or
2.30 to 4, in summer 3–5 p.m.—The smaller churches are usually open
from an early hour till 8.30 or 9 only, but are shown later by the
sacristan (fee).—The usual hours for other sights are 8–12 and 2–6;
between 12 and 2 a substantial fee is exacted.
=Promenades.= In winter, Carrera del Genil (p. 77), 3–5; in summer,
Paseo del Salón (p. 77) and Paseo de la Bomba, 5–7. Band on Sun. and
Thurs.
=Guides= at the hotels, needless except when time presses. Those who
pester strangers in the streets and at the entrance to the Alhambra,
as well as gipsy beggars, should be disregarded.
CHIEF ATTRACTIONS (two days). 1st. Forenoon: the _Cathedral_ (p. 76);
_Placeta de la Lonja_ (p. 77); _Casa de los Tiros_ (p. 77); _Carrera
del Genil_; *_Paseo del Salón_; afternoon: _Alameda del Darro_ (p.
78); *View from _San Nicolás_ (p. 79) or from _San Miguel el Alto_ (p.
79).—2nd. *_Alhambra_ (p. 79) and _Generalife_ (p. 87).
_Granáda_ (2195 ft.; pop. 69,000), once the capital of the Moorish
kingdom, and now that of the province of Granada, the residence of an
archbishop and seat of a university, lies most picturesquely at the foot
of two hills (about 490 ft. high), which gradually slope to the E. up to
the _Cerro del Sol_, and descend abruptly to the fertile, well-watered
river-plain of the _Vega_. The _Albaicín_, the northmost of the two
hills, the oldest quarter of Granada, once the residence of the Moorish
aristocracy, but now inhabited chiefly by gipsies, forms a town by
itself. The deep ravine of the _Darro_, which is generally dry as its
water is much diverted for irrigation purposes, separates the Albaicín
from the _Monte de la Assabica_, or Alhambra Hill to the S. (comp. p.
79). The Darro, descending from the N.E., turns to the S. near the
Alhambra Hill and falls into the more important _Genil_.
The two hills were once occupied by Iberian and then by Roman
settlements, the one on the Albaicín having perhaps already borne the
name of _Garnata_. Soon after 711 the Moors built the ‘Old Castle’
(Al-Kasaba al-Kadîma) on the site of Garnata. After the decline of the
caliphate of Cordova (p. 69) _Zâwi ibn Zîri_, the governor of Granada,
declared himself independent in 1031, and founded here the dynasty of
the _Zirites_, which, however, was overthrown by the Almoravides (p. 95)
in 1090. As the power of the Almohades (p. 95) declined the native
governors revolted anew. At length in 1246 Granada became the seat of
the _Nasride Dynasty_ founded by _Al-Ahmar_ (‘_Mohammed I._‘), which,
after the fall of Seville, succeeded, in alliance alternately with the
Castilians and the Merinides (p. 95), in retaining possession of
Granada, Málaga, and Almería for nearly 250 years. Mohammed I. offered
an asylum in Granada to the Moors who were expelled from Cordova,
Valencia, and Seville, and began the building of the ‘New Castle’
(Al-Kasaba al-Jedîda) on the hill of the Alhambra. His successors
afterwards created the Alhambra Palace, the most sumptuous of royal
residences. Thanks to their fostering care for agriculture and industry,
for science, art and architecture, Granada attained such brilliant
prosperity as even to eclipse the fame of the old caliphate of Cordova.
The downfall of the kingdom of Granada was at length brought about by
party struggles between the _Zegri_, the _Beni Serrâj_ (the
_Abencerrages_ of legend; comp. p. 84), and other noble families, and by
quarrels between king _Mulei Abu’l-Hasan_ (d. 1485) and his son
_Boabdil_; a welcome opportunity was thus afforded to Ferdinand and
Isabella, the so-called ‘Catholic Kings’, of intervening and thus
gaining their life-long object of destroying the last Moorish kingdom in
Spain. After the death of his father Boabdil remained inactive when
Ferdinand proceeded to besiege Málaga (p. 90); he made one despairing
attempt at resistance when the Spaniards demanded the evacuation of
Granada, but in 1491 had to conclude a humiliating peace. He soon
afterwards crossed the Sierra Nevada and retired to Tlemcen in N. Africa
(p. 187), where he ended his inglorious career. With the Spanish
domination began the decay of the city; it was depopulated by the
decrees of the Catholic Kings, the Inquisition held fearful sway here,
and ere long Granada became a ‘living ruin’. Within the last few years,
however, the busy tourist traffic, the establishment of sugar-factories,
and the prosperous mining industry of the Sierra Nevada have somewhat
repaired the fortunes of the city, and several of the old quarters have
been entirely modernized. But its picturesque history, its memorials of
the most glorious period of Moorish culture and art, and the striking
view of the snow-mountains it affords will ever render it the most
fascinating goal of travellers in Andalusia.
See ‘Granada: Memories, Adventures, Studies, and Impressions’, by
_Leonard Williams_ (London, 1906); and ‘Granada and the Alhambra’, by
_A. F. Calvert_ (London, 1907).
a. The Lower Town.
Leaving the railway-station (Pl. B, 6; tramway No. 1, see p. 73), we
follow the Calle Real de San Lázaro to the S.E. to the _Paseo del
Triunfo_ (Pl. C, 4), so named from the column in honour of the Virgin
(triunfo). Here, by the half-ruined _Puerta de Elvira_ (Pl. C, 4), begin
the old Calle de Elvira and the new GRAN VIA DE COLÓN (Pl. C-E, 4), both
leading to the chief artery of traffic, the narrow—
CALLE DE LOS REYES CATÓLICOS (Pl. E, 4, 5), which is built above the
Darro, and connects the busy Puerta Real (Pl. E, 5), to the S.W., with
the Plaza Nueva (Pl. E, 4; officially, Plaza Rodriguez Bolivar), to the
N.E., at the foot of the Alhambra Hill (p. 79).
In the Calle de Lopez Rubio, a side-street, is the so-called _Casa del
Carbón_, once a Moorish granary, with picturesque horseshoe arches and
stalactite vaulting. To the S.W. of it is the modern town-hall
(_Ayuntamiento_).
The short streets on the opposite side lead to the _Alcaicería_, (Pl. E,
4, 5), with its numerous columns, which was burned down in 1843, once a
Moorish market-hall (Al-Kaisariya), resembling the Oriental sûks (p.
335), and to the modernized _Plaza de Bibarrambla_ (Pl. E, 5), named
after a Moorish city-gate which once stood here. A few paces from these
lies the PLACETA DE LAS PASIEGAS. Here, surrounded by buildings which
mar its effect, rises the—
*=Cathedral= (Pl. D, E, 4, 5), an imposing memorial of the conquest of
Spain, and the finest Renaissance church in the kingdom. It was begun in
1523 by _Enrique de Egas_ in the Gothic style, continued in 1525 by
_Diego de Siloe_ (d. 1533) in the plateresque style (p. 51), and
consecrated, while still unfinished, in 1561. The N. tower only, which
is now 187 ft. high, has been erected; the huge façade was begun in 1667
by _Alonso Cano_, who was also the chief author of the sculpture and
painting in the church; the interior was not completed till 1703.
Two of the SIDE PORTALS, the Puerta de San Jerónimo, the first
entrance to the N. in the Calle de Jiménez de Cisneros, and the Puerta
del Colegio, on the E. side of the ambulatory, are adorned with
sculptures by _Siloe_ and others. The *Puerta del Perdón, the second
portal to the N., also owes the beautiful ornamentation of its lower
part to _Siloe_.
The *INTERIOR (adm., see p. 74) has double aisles with two rows of
chapels, a lofty transept which does not project beyond the
side-walls, a central choir, and a Capilla Mayor with ambulatory. The
vaulting, 100 ft. in height, is borne by massive pillars and
half-columns. Total length 380, breadth 220 ft. The decoration in
white and gold harmonizes well with the fine marble pavement (1775).
The *CAPILLA MAYOR, 148 ft. long and 154 ft. high, is crowned with a
dome resting on Corinthian columns. On the pillars in front of the
marble high-altar are kneeling statues of the ‘Catholic Kings’, by
_Pedro de Mena_ and _Medrano_ (1677); above them are painted *Busts of
Adam and Eve, in oak, by _Alonso Cano_, who painted also the
representation of the Seven Joys of Mary.
SIDE CHAPELS. The Capilla de San Miguel, on the right, lavishly
decorated in 1807, contains a picture by _Al. Cano_, the Mater
Dolorosa (after Gasp. Becerra).—In the Capilla de la Trinidad, beyond
the door of the Sagrario (p. 77), is a painting of the Trinity by _Al.
Cano_.—The Altar de Jesús Nazareno contains *Pictures by _Dom.
Theotocópuli_ (St. Francis) and _Ribera_; the fine Bearing of the
Cross is by _Al. Cano_.—By the same artist are also the fine oaken
busts of St. Paul and John the Baptist in the Capilla de Nuestra
Señora del Carmen, adjoining the N. aisles.
From the first chapel in the ambulatory, to the right of the Puerta
del Colegio, a portal by _Siloe_ leads through an ante-room
(antesacristía) into the SACRISTY (18th cent.), containing a crucifix
by Montañés (p. 61) and an Annunciation and a Conception (a sculpture)
by _Al. Cano_.
A handsome portal leads from the right transept into the late-Gothic
*=Capilla Real=, the burial-chapel of the ‘Catholic Kings’, where
Charles V. caused his parents Philip of Austria and Juana the Insane
also to be interred. The marble *Monuments are in the Italian
early-Renaissance style: on the right those of Ferdinand and Isabella,
by the Florentine _Domenico Fancelli_; on the left, Philip and Juana,
by _Bartolomé Ordóñez_. The high-altar, with the kneeling statuettes
of the ‘Catholic Kings’, is by _Philip Vigarní_, a Burgundian; the
reliefs in wood, historically interesting, represent (left) the
surrender of the Alhambra keys and (right) the compulsory baptism of
the Moors. Behind the reliquary altars, which are opened on four
festival-days only, are hung Madonnas by _Dierick Bouts_, altar-wings
by _Roger van der Weyden_, a Madonna and a Descent from the Cross by
_Memling_, and other pictures. Over an altar in the right aisle is a
*Winged Picture by _D. Bouts_.
The third great addition to the cathedral, the =Sagrario=, erected as
a parish church in 1705–59, occupies the site of the ancient mosque,
with its eleven aisles, which was used for Christian worship down to
1661.
The picturesque PLACETA DE LA LONJA (Pl. E, 4), on the S. side of the
cathedral, affords a good view of the _Lonja_ (Exchange), built in
1518–22, which stands before the Sagrario, of the rich architecture of
the Capilla Real, and of the—
=Casa del Cabildo Antigua=, once the seat of the Moorish university
founded here after the downfall of Cordova and Seville, afterwards the
residence of the ‘Catholic Kings’, and now a cloth magazine. Its
fantastic exterior dates from the 18th cent.; in the interior are two
interesting rooms of the Moorish period (fee 50 c.).
* * * * *
From the E. end of the Calle de los Reyes Católicos (p. 75) the Calle
Castro y Serrano and Calle Doctor Eximio lead to the right to the _Casa
de los Tiros_ (Pl. E, 4), a building in the Moorish castellated style,
dating from the 15th cent., and now owned by the Marquesa de Campotéjar.
The court contains a venerable tree-like vine. Tickets for the
Generalife (comp. p. 74) are issued here.
The Calle de Santa Escolástica leads hence to the Plaza de Santo Domingo
(Pl. F, 4) and the old monastery of _Santo Domingo_ (now a military
school), with its pleasing church (15–17th cent.).—A little to the S.W.
is the—
_Cuarto Real de Santa Domingo_ (Pl. F, 4; admittance seldom granted),
the Al-Majarra of the Moors, now named after a tower of the 13th cent.,
a superb villa with a Moorish portal and a hall whose charming
decoration is older than the Alhambra. The beautiful garden is said to
have been laid out in Moorish times.
We now cross the Plaza Bailén to the N.W. to the favourite winter
promenade (p. 74), the _Carrera del Genil_ (Pl. E-G, 5), shaded with
plane-trees, which begins at the Puerta Real (p. 75) and now comprises
the former _Alameda_. Adjoining the Carrera on the left is the—
*=Paseo del Salón= (Pl. G, 5, 4). planted with elms and adorned with a
bronze statue of _Isabella the Catholic_. Delightful view to the N.E. of
Monte Mauror with the Torres Bermejas (p. 80); to the S.E. towers the
majestic Sierra Nevada, from whose rocky crest the _Picacho de la
Veleta_ (11,148 ft.), the grandest point of view in all Andalusia, alone
rises conspicuously.
b. Darro Valley and Albaicín.
At the mouth of the Darro Valley lies the PLAZA NUEVA (Pl. E, 4; p. 75),
another focus of traffic (tramways, see p. 73). On the left is the
_Audiencia_, formerly the Chancilleria, built in 1531–87 for the Capitán
General or governor. The pretty arcaded court was probably designed by
Diego de Siloe (p. 76).
A few paces farther to the E. the Darro is not covered in. Here, on the
right, on the site of an old mosque, is the church of =Santa Ana= (Pl.
E, 3), a Renaissance building, perhaps designed by _Diego de Siloe_ in
1541, with a fine plateresque portal and an admirable timber ceiling.
The tower, built by _Juan Castellar_ in 1561–3, with its azulejos and
jutting roof resting on corbels, resembles a minaret.
Opposite the church, on the right bank of the Darro, begins the CARRERA
DEL DARRO (Pl. E, 3, 2), one of the oldest parts of Granada, affording
picturesque views, notably of the towers and walls of the Alhambra,
which had its oldest approach from this quarter. (Part of a horseshoe
arch of the bridge is seen on the left bank.) The _Bañuelo_, at No. 37,
now occupied by poor families, is a Moorish bath, dating perhaps from
the 11th century.
On the right side of the street we come to the church of _San Pedro y
San Pablo_ (Pl. E, 3, 2), with its fine timber ceiling. On the opposite
bank of the Darro we observe traces of the landslip under the N.E.
corner of the Alcazaba (p. 81), below which are the arches of an
aqueduct. To the N. of the church is the _Casa de Castril_, a curious
Renaissance building with an ornate portal by a pupil of Siloe.
We next reach the ALAMEDA DEL DARRO (Pl. E, 2), planted with elms; above
us, on the right, is the Generalife (p. 87); on the left, Albaicín (p.
79). Crossing the bridge to the right we enter the steep CUESTA DEL REY
CHICO (Pl. F, 2), which leads through the ravine mentioned at p. 79, and
past the Moorish towers of the Alhambra, to the _Puerta de Hierro_ (p.
87), the E. gate of the Alhambra, and to the _Generalife_.
From the Darro the CUESTA DEL CHAPIZ (Pl. E, D, 2) ascends to the N. to
the old suburb of _Albaida_. The street is named after the _Casa del
Chapiz_, erected early in the 16th cent. in the Mudejar style for two
Morisco nobles, with two separate patios. The house, now a bakery, is
entered from No. 14, at the corner of the Camino del Sacro Monte.
From this point the CAMINO DEL SACRO MONTE (Pl. D, 2, 1) ascends the
cactus-grown slope. The numerous poor _Cuevas_, or cave-dwellings, are
chiefly occupied by gipsies (gitanos). The path ends at the (25 min.)
=Sacro Monte= (to the N.E. of Pl. D, E, 1), a Benedictine monastery of
the 17th cent., now a divinity and law school. The view of the Alhambra
across the Darro valley, of the town and the Vega, is one of the finest
near Granada.
Footpaths ascend from the Cuesta del Chapiz in 25 min., and from the
Sacro Monte in ¾ hr., partly through deep gorges, to the chapel of =San
Miguel el Alto= (Pl. D, 1), in the midst of aloes and cacti, where we
enjoy a grand *View of the Alhambra, the town, the Vega, and the Sierra
Nevada.
* * * * *
The side-streets of the Carrera del Darro (p. 78) ascend to the N. to
=Albaicín=, a poor suburb (p. 74). Not far from San Pedro y San Pablo
(p. 78) is the small Gothic church of _San Juan de los Reyes_ (Pl. D,
2), an early 16th cent. edifice, whose tower was once a minaret.
Above this church, and of like date, is the Gothic church of =San
Nicolás= (Pl. D, 2), also built on Moorish foundations, and containing a
fine timber ceiling. The famous *View of the Alhambra and the Sierra
Nevada is a favourite subject with artists. The _Puerta de los
Estandartes_ (Pl. D, 3), close by, is a relic of the Moorish _Castle
Wall_, which runs down hence to the _Puerta Monáita_ (Pl. C, 3, 4). On
the N. side the Cuesta de la Alacaba (Pl. D, C, 3, 4) descends to the
Paseo del Triunfo (p. 75).
On the way back to the Plaza Nueva we pass the Franciscan nunnery of
_Santa Isabel la Real_ (Pl. D, 3), whose church has a tasteful
late-Gothic portal by Enrique de Egas.
c. The Alhambra.
The =Alhambra= occupies the plateau, 795 by 195 yds., of the _Monte de
la Assabica_ (p. 74), which rises abruptly from the Darro on the N.
side, while on the S. it is separated by a gorge, the _Assabica_ of the
Moors, from the lower spur of the _Monte Mauror_ (Pl. F, 3; p. 80). The
axis of this range of hills is abruptly intersected by a second gorge,
the _Cuesta del Rey Chico_ (p. 78), separating it on the E. side from
the _Cerro del Sol_ (p. 87), at the foot of which lies the Generalife
(p. 87). On the narrow W. point of the plateau stands the castle of
_Alcazaba_. Beyond the small glacis on its E. side, and beyond the Plaza
de los Aljibes, rises the _Alhambra_ itself, adjoining which, on the
S.E., lies the _Alta Alhambra_, once quite a little town, where the
retinue and servants of the court resided. The whole of these buildings,
enclosed by a wall with numerous towers, were called by the Moors
_Medînat al-Hamrâ_, literally ‘red city’, from the colour of its stone.
The HISTORY of the Alhambra begins with Mohammed I. (1232–72), the
first Nasride sovereign. While the Zirites resided on the Albaicín
hill (comp. p. 74), Mohammed chose the Alhambra Hill as a site for his
palace. The building was continued by his son _Mohammed II._
(1272–1302), and the Alhambra mosque (p. 86) was erected by _Mohammed
III._ (1302–9). _Abu’l-Walîd Ismaîl_ (1309–25) was the first to erect
a small palace outside of the Alcazaba, but this, with the exception
of the Patio del Mexuar (p. 85), was taken down by _Yûsuf I._
(1333–54). Yûsuf began the stately Comares or myrtle-court palace,
with its throne and audience room; to him are ascribed also the
Comares tower (p. 83), the baths (p. 85), and the enclosing wall of
the Alhambra Hill, with 23 additional towers. For the more sumptuous
part of the pile _Mohammed V._ (1354–91) was chiefly responsible. To
him was due the completion of the Myrtle Court, the erection of the
Cuarto de Machuca, the summer abode of part of the family, and of the
luxurious lion-court palace, the winter dwelling of the court and of
the sovereign’s harem. The last Moorish king who made additions to the
Alhambra was _Mohammed VII._ (1392–1408).
The ‘Catholic Kings’, as Ferdinand and Isabella are styled, took a
great interest in the Alhambra; they restored the decorations of the
interior and strengthened the walls. Charles V. visited Granada in
1526, but with less satisfactory results. Although an enthusiastic
admirer of Moorish art, he caused many outbuildings of the Alhambra to
be removed to make way for his new palace (p. 86). At length, after
1718, when Philip V. discontinued the payment of money for the upkeep
of the buildings, they rapidly fell into decay, and in 1812 the
French, on their retreat, blew up several of the towers. Since 1830,
however, the work of restoration, though sometimes in doubtful taste,
has been resumed.
It is hardly necessary to remind our readers of _Washington Irving’s_
delightful ‘Tales of the Alhambra’, which were partly written on the
spot. A series of magnificent views of the Alhambra is given in the
monumental work of _Jules Goury_ and _Owen Jones_, published at London
in 1842. See also ‘The Alhambra’ by _A. F. Calvert_ (2nd ed., London,
1907).
The HILL TRAMWAY (rack-and-pinion; p. 73) ascends from the Puerta de los
Molinos (Pl. G, 3) on the S. slope of _Monte Mauror_, affording a
splendid view of Granada, the Vega, and the Sierra Nevada on the left,
to the Cuesta de las Cruces (p. 81) in the Alhambra Park, a few minutes’
walk from the entrance of the Alhambra.
The shortest ROAD to the Alhambra is the Calle de Gomeres (Pl. E, 4, 3),
which ascends steeply from the Plaza Nueva to the S.E., between the
hills of the Alcazaba and the Torres Bermejas, to the Puerta de las
Granadas, the present chief entrance to the Alhambra Park.
The =Puerta de las Granadas= (Pl. 1; E, 3), erected by _Pedro Machuca_
(p. 86), in the form of a triumphal arch, on the site of the Moorish
_Bîb Alaujar_, occupied the centre of the wall connecting the Alcazaba
with the TORRES BERMEJAS, the fortifications on the W. point of the
Monte Mauror, which were built at the same period as the Alcazaba, but
have been frequently restored.
The *TORRES BERMEJAS (Pl. F, 3; ‘red towers’), now a military prison,
deserve a visit, which may be best paid on the way back from the
Alhambra or the Generalife. The path diverges from the Cuesta de las
Cruces (p. 81) a few paces to the E. of the Puerta de las Granadas.
Adm. on application at the guard-house. The extensive buildings, with
their underground stabling, the cistern, and the casemates, convey an
excellent idea of an ancient Moorish fortress. Stairs, rather steep,
ascend to the platform (_azotea_) on the chief tower, where we obtain
a most picturesque view.
The *=Alhambra Park= (_Alameda de la Alhambra_; Pl. F, 3, 2), a ‘sacred
grove’ unique of its kind, occupies the Assabica Valley (p. 79),
reaching far up its slopes. It was planted at the end of the 18th cent.
with elms exclusively, placed so close together as to form one dense
roof of leafage, the home of countless nightingales. In March, when the
sun shines through the leafless branches, the soil is temporarily
covered with rich vegetation.
From the Puerta de las Granadas three roads ascend to the Alhambra. To
the right is the CUESTA DE LAS CRUCES, leading up the S. side of the
park to the hill-tramway and the _Alhambra Hotels_ (p. 73); to the left
is the rather fatiguing CUESTA EMPEDRADA, the old route to the castle,
ending at the _Puerta Judiciaria_ (see below); between these is the easy
MAIN ROAD, passing three fountains, and also leading to the hotels, but
connected by side-paths with the Puerta Judiciaria. Carriages use this
road and pass through the _Puerta del Carril_ (Pl. 6; F, 2).
The entrance-tower, with the *=Puerta Judiciaria= (Pl. 5; E, F, 3),
which, according to the inscription, was erected in the reign of Yûsuf
I. in 1348, and was called by the Moors _Bîbush-Sheria_ (‘gate of
justice’), deserves special attention. Like many of the Alhambra towers,
this was really an independent building, the road between the gates of
which was made tortuous for defensive purposes. About halfway up is the
horseshoe-shaped _Outer Gate_, above which is seen a hand with
outstretched fingers, a symbol often used in the East and in S. Europe
to avert the evil eye. The _Inner Gateway_ still has its old Moorish
doors studded with iron.
A narrow passage ascends thence to the _House of Gómes Tortosa_ (on the
right; Pl. 7, E, 3), the conservator of the Alhambra. Into the N. wing
is built the *=Puerta del Vino=, probably once the main W. entrance of
the _Alta Alhambra_ (p. 86). This gate seems to have been once connected
by a wall with the Puerta de Hierro (p. 87), so as to shut off the
Alcazaba, the palace, and the mosque from the Alhambra suburb.
At the top of the hill we enter the broad PLAZA DE LOS ALJIBES (Pl. 8;
E, 3), so named from the cistern (_al-jibb_) filled with water from the
Darro. The level of the plaza was raised about 16 ft. when Charles V.
built his palace, and it is now adorned with hedges of myrtle. On the E.
side rise the Moorish palace (p. 82) and the handsome building erected
by the emperor (p. 86); on our left is the E. front of the Alcazaba with
two towers, the _Torre Quebrada_ and the _Torre del Homenaje_, 85 ft. in
height (Pl. 10, 11; E, 3); to the N. we look down into the Darro Valley.
The =Alcazaba= (Pl. E, 3; Arabic _Al-Kasaba_, ‘the citadel’) stands
about 460 ft. above the Plaza Nueva (p. 78). Except on the E. the hill
falls away abruptly on all sides, and so suddenly on the N.E., in
consequence of a landslip, that the castle-wall seems endangered. The
only entrance to the castle is now the _Puerta de la Alcazaba_ (Pl. 9;
E, 3), at the S.W. angle of the Plaza de los Aljibes. The interior of
the castle is now occupied by gardens. Of the original building scarcely
anything remains except the ruined enclosing wall, with its huge towers
and external terraces (_Adarves_). At several points the masonry
resembles the concrete work of the Romans (p. 290).
At the W. extremity of the Alcazaba stands the ‘watch-tower’, the *TORRE
DE LA VELA (Pl. 13; E, 3), the _Ghafar_ of the Moors, on which the three
‘pendones’ of Ferdinand and Isabella were displayed for the first time
on 2nd Jan., 1492.
The Vela Tower commands a very extensive *VIEW (doorkeeper 30 c.). At
our feet lies the entire city; to the left, beyond the Alhambra Park,
rise the Torres Bermejas; to the right, beyond the Darro, is the
Albaicín; in front of us extends the almost circular green Vega,
enclosed by brown and sun-scorched ranges of hills; to the S.E. towers
the Sierra Nevada; to the S. and S.W. rise the Sierra de Almijara,
Sierra Tejea, and Sierra de Alhama; to the W. are Santa Fe (p. 73) and
the hills of Loja (p. 72); then, to the N.W., are the Sierra de
Parapanda (p. 73), Sierra de Elvira, and other hills. Lastly, to the
E., we see the Moorish Alhambra and the palace of Charles V., the
church of Santa María (p. 86), the Generalife (p. 87), and the Silla
del Moro (p. 88).
The *JARDÍN DE LOS ADARVES (Pl. 15; E, 3), the S. terrace, overgrown
with venerable ivy and vines, is entered by a small door (recognized by
the iron scallop-shells on it) to the left of the Alcazaba gate. The
view is most picturesque, especially towards evening.
* * * * *
The Moorish **=Alhambra Palace= (adm., see p. 74), commonly known as the
_Casa Real_, adjoins the N.E. angle of the Plaza de los Aljibes. Like
other Moorish secular buildings it is externally insignificant, and it
is quite eclipsed by the huge palace of Charles V. (p. 86). Like the
ancient Greek and Roman dwelling-houses it is entirely closed on the
outside, while all the rooms open on an internal court as a common
centre. When the house was enlarged a new court had to be added, and so
too the kings of Granada built palace after palace, each with its own
court and separate entrance.
On these buildings the highest efforts of Moorish art have been
expended. Their structural value is small; the materials, chiefly wood
and plaster, lack solidity, being often used for effect only; while
architectural rules are constantly violated. But the ingenious
disposition of the rooms and their sumptuous ornamentation, whose
fairy-like effect is too often marred by decay or by faulty restoration,
are unrivalled. The slender marble columns by which the light walls are
supported recall the tent-poles of the nomads, while the mural
decoration with its arabesques and flourishes reminds one of an Oriental
carpet. Very curious too is the ‘stalactite’ vaulting, formed by minute
and countless projections of the walls, ranged one above the other
without visible support. The Semitic abhorrence of any representation of
living beings accounts for the absence of sculpture, but some food for
reflection was afforded by the inscriptions with which all the
wall-spaces are framed, partly in the venerable Cufic characters (p.
150), partly in Andalusian flowing letters, extolling Allah and the
reigning family.
The present low-lying ENTRANCE (_Entrada Moderna_), adjacent to the
emperor’s palace, leads into the—
*=Myrtle Court= (_Patio de la Alberca_ or _de los Arrayanes_), which
belongs to the Comares palace (p. 80), and derives its name from the
myrtle-hedges (_mesas de arrayanes_) around its pond (_alberca_). The
court is 121 ft. long and 75 ft. in breadth. At its N.E. end rises the
Comares tower (see below); to the S.W. it is overlooked by Charles V.’s
palace, which stands about 16 ft. higher. At each end of the court is a
beautiful arcade, borne by six slender marble columns and paved with
marble; that at the S.W. end, with its upper gallery, open at the top,
deserves special admiration. At the N.E. end the arcades terminate in
curious niches (Arabic _ar-hanîya_) with stalactite vaulting, once
coloured blue.
The first door on the N.W. side of the court leads into the
custodian’s rooms, and the next but one into the _Patio del Mexuar_
(p. 85); opposite the latter door, from the S.E. wall of the court,
stairs (generally closed) descend to the _Baths_ (p. 85). Opposite the
entrance of the palace is a door leading into the _Sala de los
Mocárabes_ (p. 84) and the _Lions’ Court_ (p. 81). The stairs in the
S.W. angle of the court lead into the interior of Charles V.’s palace
(p. 86).
An ornate horseshoe arch at the N.E. end of the court gives access to
the ante-room of the Comares Tower, the =Sala de la Barca=, whose
barrel-vaulting was destroyed by a fire in 1899. By the entrance are two
niches for water-vessels. The wall of the tower is pierced with a superb
archway, right and left of which are two other fine niches.
The ruinous =Torre de Comares=, 148 ft. in height, built, it is said, by
workmen from Comares, and crowned, with modern pinnacles, contains the—
**=Hall of the Ambassadors= (_Sala de los Embajadores_), a room in two
stories, 36 ft. square and 59 ft. high, once the royal reception room.
The last meeting of the Moors under Boabdil, before the capitulation of
Granada, was held here in 1491. Inscriptions record that Yûsuf I. was
the builder. The larch-wood dome of the hall has been compared to the
facetted surface of a cut diamond. The immense thickness of the walls is
apparent from the depth of the window-niches, each of which affords a
different view. The central windows (so-called _Ajimez_, Arabic
_khamsîya_) are each divided into two by a slender column. This hall is
one of the most richly decorated in the Alhambra.
From the first window-niche on the right in the S.E. wall a passage
leads to the _Peinador de la Reina_ (p. 86) and to the lower floor.
We return to the Myrtle Court and (as indicated above) pass through the
Sala de los Mocárabes into the—
**=Court of the Lions= (_Patio de Los Leones_), which owes its name to
the _Fuente de los Leones_, a famous fountain borne by twelve lions. The
building was begun by Mohammed V. in 1377. The court, 92 by 52 ft., is
bordered all round with a colonnade, from which at each end protrudes a
superb domed pavilion. The columns are alternately single and grouped.
The tasteful elegance of this court, originally shaded by six
orange-trees, contrasts strikingly with the showy pomp of the Myrtle
Court. The fretwork decoration in stucco looks like carved ivory.
Besides the lion-fountain, the court contains, at the ends of the
arcade, eight flat marble fountain-basins. The fountains play on a few
festival-days only.
The Court of the Lions, whose upper floor contained the women’s
apartments, restored in 1907, is adjoined by handsome rooms all round.
On the N.W. side is the present ante-room of the court, called the—
=Sala de los Mocárabes=, 72 ft. long, but only 13 ft. wide. The handsome
barrel-vaulting in the Renaissance style was added after an explosion of
gunpowder in 1614, but remains of the old dome and mural decoration have
been brought to light.
The *=Hall of the Abencerrages=, to the S.W. of the Lions’ Court,
derives its name from a noble family (p. 75), whose leading members, as
the story goes, were beheaded at the fountain in the centre of this hall
on account of an intrigue of Hamet, their chief, with king Boabdil’s
wife. We note specially the magnificent door of entrance, and the
curious way in which it is fitted to the doorposts. The central part of
the hall rises in three stories, upon which open two lower alcoves with
beautiful toothed arches and coffered ceilings. Over the gallery of the
second story eight stalactite pendentives form the transition to the
sixteen-sided third story, whose windows diffuse a subdued light.
Lastly, the hall is roofed with massive stalactite vaulting.
Adjoining the Hall of the Abencerrages, on the left and right, are the
_Patinillo_ and the _Aljibe_ or cistern.
The *=Sala de la Justicia= (also called _Sala del Tribunal_ or _de los
Reyes_), on the S.E. side of the Court of the Lions, is a hall in seven
sections, with three arched entrances from the court, each divided by
two columns. Between these open sections, which are roofed with lofty
domes lighted from above, are two lower chambers. Adjoining the ends and
the E. side are side-rooms or alcoves, some of them dark. The whole of
this hall, with its honeycomb vaulting and stalactite arches, presents
the appearance of some fantastic grotto.
The three larger side-rooms have ceiling-paintings of the early 15th
century. The central picture, which has given rise to the different
names of the hall (‘hall of justice’, ‘hall of the kings’, etc.),
probably represents the first ten kings of Granada, beginning with
Mohammed I., or, according to others, a meeting of council, or a court
of justice. The paintings in the two other alcoves depict hunting and
jousting scenes.
In the central alcove is a Moorish _Trough_ (pila) of 1306, with
curious reliefs of lions devouring stags, of eagles, etc.—The
alabaster _Tombstones_ in the alcove at the S.W. end of the hall are
from the _Rauda_, the dilapidated royal vault of the Alhambra.
Opposite the Hall of the Abencerrages we ascend from the N.E. side of
the Court of the Lions by a narrow passage (_pasadizo_) to the—
**=Sala de las Dos Hermanas= (_Hall of the Two Sisters_), which lies in
the same axis as the Sala de los Ajimeces and Mirador de Daraxa, two
other rooms situated at a higher level. This suite of rooms seems to
have formed the winter residence of the ruler’s harem. The chief of
these, whose ornamentation is perhaps the most exquisite in the
Alhambra, has its name from the two marble slabs in the pavement. In
particular we admire the beautiful doors, the mural decoration in
stucco, and above all the honeycomb vaulting, the largest of all Arab
roofs of the kind.
In a corner of the hall stands the *_Alhambra Vase_ (‘el jarro de la
Alhambra’), 4 ft. 5 in. in height, dating from 1320, and adorned with
enamel, figures of animals (gazelles?), etc.
We next pass through the _Sala de los Ajimeces_, with its ajimeces (p.
83) and fine vaulting (a closed passage on the left leads hence to the
Peinador de la Reina and the Patio de la Reja, p. 86), to the—
*=Mirador de Daraxa= (‘entrance-room’). This charming bay has three
windows, reaching nearly to the ground and overlooking the Patio de
Daraxa (p. 86).
We may now return through the Court of the Lions to the Myrtle Court,
and from the N.W. side (as indicated at p. 83) of the latter descend
through the _Zaguán_ or forecourt to the =Patio del Mexuar=, lying 13
ft. lower. This is the oldest part of the Alhambra. On the N.E. side of
the court is a pleasing _Atrium_, with columns and a horseshoe arch of
1522. The adjacent _Cuarto Dorado_ also has Mudejar decoration of the
time of Charles V.
The =Mexuar= (Arabic _meshwâr_, council-chamber), now the _Capilla_, was
fitted up as such in 1537–44, but not used as the palace chapel till
1629. During the Moorish period it perhaps served as an audience chamber
or law-court, and the gallery as a meeting-place for the council of
state.—A modern door leads into the _Mosala_, the Moorish chapel built
by Mohammed V., which belonged to the old _Cuarto de Machuca_ (p. 80),
now almost entirely occupied by gardens.
Nearly opposite the Christian Chapel in the Mexuar Court is the
underground _Viaduct_ leading to the Baths (right) and to the Patio de
la Reja.
The extensive subterranean *=Baths= (_Baños_), to the N.E. of the Myrtle
Court, in the style of those of ancient Rome (comp. p. 290), date from
the time of Yûsuf I. The first room, now freely restored, resembling an
Apodyterium, is the _Sala de las Camas_ or _de los Divanes_, with two
niches for couches, and is remarkable for its graceful superstructure.
The gallery was destined for the singing girls. The chief bath-chamber
(_cuartos y sudoríficos_) corresponds to the Tepidarium, and marble
baths still exist. The heating apparatus (_calorífero_) has been
destroyed.
From the Sala de las Camas we enter the *=Patio de Daraxa= (p. 85),
planted with cypresses, formerly the inner garden of the palace, but
altered by Charles V. Only the upper basin of the fountain is Moorish.
The rooms on the upper floor (_Aposentos de Carlos Quinto_) contain the
Alhambra archives.
The small _Patio de la Reja_, with its fountain and four cypresses, so
called from its window-gratings, dates only from 1654–55.—The stairs at
the N.E. corner lead (left) to the Hall of the Ambassadors (p. 83), and
(right) to a new corridor which brings us to the—
*=Peinador de la Reina= (the ‘Queen’s Dressing-room’), on the upper
floor of the _Torre del Peinador_ erected by Yûsuf I. The ‘grotesque’
paintings, in the style of the Vatican logge, and the scenes from
Charles V.’s expedition to Tunis (p. 323) are by _Julio de Aquilés_ and
_Alex. Mayner_.
* * * * *
The *=Palace of Charles V.= (Pl. 17, E, 2; entrance, see p. 83) is a
massive square pile of 207 ft. each way and 57 ft. in height, with a
heavy rustica groundfloor and an upper story of the Ionic order,
terminating in a Doric cornice. The building was designed by _Pedro
Machuca_ in the Italian high-Renaissance style, in 1526, and its cost
was defrayed out of the tribute paid by the Moors. The only completed
parts are the façades, the superb circular colonnaded court, of the
Doric order below and the Ionic above, and the main staircase, which was
not finished till 1635. The richly sculptured W. and S. portals,
executed by many different masters, are specially attractive.
Passing round the S. side of the palace of Charles V., we cross the
Plaza de los Alămos to the church of _Santa María_ (Pl. 18; E, F, 2),
which stands on the site of the _Mezquita Real_ or Alhambra mosque.
The buildings of the =Alta Alhambra= (p. 79) also present several
features of interest. To the N. of Santa María we cross the Alameda,
pass (on the left) the ruins of the Rauda (p. 85) and the outside of
the Court of the Lions, and then descend to the left to the _Torre de
las Damas_ (Pl. 20; E, 2), a fortified tower of the time of Yûsuf I.,
restored in 1907–8, with a sumptuous interior. Fine view from the
Mirador (p. 87).—A few paces to the E. lies the =Carmen de Arratía=, a
private house with a charming garden (above the gate is the
inscription ‘Mezquita árabe de la Alhambra’). The house contains a
_Moorish Chapel_, also dating from the time of Yûsuf I., with an
elegant mihrâb or prayer-niche.
Farther on in the same direction we come to the _Torre de los Picos_
(Pl. 21; F, 2) and cross a bastion (_baluarte_) to the =Puerta de
Hierro= (Pl. 22; F, 2), restored by the ‘Catholic kings’, which forms
the entrance to the Alhambra from the Cuesta del Rey Chico (p. 78).
On the margin of the plateau above this road are four towers, the two
finest of which, time permitting, we may visit under the guidance of
the custodian, who lives in the Torre de la Pólvora. These are the
=Torre de la Cautiva= (Pl. 23; F, 2), the chief room in which vies
with the sumptuous halls of the Alhambra palace itself, and the _Torre
de las Infantas_ (Pl. 24; F, 2), an excellent point of view.
On the S.W. margin of the plateau, beyond the _Torre del Agua_ (Pl.
25; F, 2), where towards evening we have a splendid view of the town,
the Vega, and the Sierra Nevada, is a bastion above which rises the
_Puerta de los Siete Suelos_ (Pl. 26; F, 2). By this gate Boabdil, the
last of the Moorish kings (p. 75), made his final exit from the
Alhambra.
d. The Generalife.
At the foot of the _Cerro del Sol_, to the E. of the Alhambra, about 160
ft. above the Alhambra Hill, rises the *=Palacio de Generalife= (Pl. E,
F, 1), once the famous summer residence of the Moorish kings, and now
owned by the Marquesa de Campotéjar (p. 77). The name is a corruption of
the Arabic _Jennat al-Arîf_, ‘garden of Arîf’, the original owner.
According to the inscription it was redecorated by order of Abu’l-Walîd
Ismaîl in 1319, but in 1494 it was altered and enlarged by Queen
Isabella. The interior is very dilapidated; the ornamentation, which is
about half-a-century earlier than that of the chief apartments in the
Alhambra, is mostly whitewashed.
We ascend by the Camino del Cementerio, a continuation of the three
Alhambra Park routes (p. 81), and by the Cuesta del Rey Chico (p. 78),
and ring at the _Outer Gate_ (Pl. 27, F, 2; adm., see p. 74; fee to the
porter, also to the gardener): A cypress-avenue leads thence to the N.
to the _Entrance_ (Pl. 28; F, 1).
The picturesque COURT is still, as in Moorish times, planted with
myrtle-hedges and orange-trees and intersected by a water-conduit. The
buildings on the E. side date from the 16th cent.; along the W. side
runs a _Colonnade_ with pointed arches, the central door of which opens
on a _Mirador_ (Arabic _manzar_, _i.e._ belvedere), which is now a
chapel. On the N. side we pass through a five-arched _Gallery_, and then
through a three-arched _Portal_ into a quadrangular HALL with two
alcoves. Beyond this is a square room with a balcony commanding a
splendid view of the Darro Valley. The modern side-rooms are
uninteresting.
The *PARK, to the E. of the main building and above it, was laid out in
Moorish times. We first enter the _Patio de los Cipreses_, with a
gallery built in 1584–6, and shaded with venerable cypresses. A Moorish
flight of steps, with grooves for water on the balustrades, ascends to a
_Mirador_ (Pl. 29; F, 1), where we enjoy a glorious *View of Granada,
the Alhambra, and the valley of the Darro.
A good survey of the Alhambra and of the whole Sierra Nevada is
obtained from the _Silla del Moro_ (Pl. F, 1), a spur of the Cerro del
Sol. It is reached in 12 min. from the Cementerio road (p. 87) by a
path diverging halfway between the gate of the Generalife and the
cemetery, and then crossing a gorge.