The Christian Churches of Granada, Spain

The Cathedral of Granada

As you look at all the cathedrals in Spain, and compare it to this one, the Cathedral of Granada certainly sticks out.

It's not Gothic or Romanesque like all the others, you see. And that's because it was built so much later.

Because Granada was the last city to be captured from the Moors, and so the last city to get a cathedral. And, because it was now almost the 16th Century when Christianity was reestablished here, styles had changed. No more Gothic, you see. There was now a Renaissance going on, and architects such as Michelangelo had changed things with such churches as St. Peter's in Rome.

And so, you have what is basically a Renaissance style, which borrowed a lot from classical, and not much from Gothic. And get what is a classically simple architecture, which was later tarted up with a lot of baroque decoration. You just can't trust church architects not to go too far. I mean look at St. Peters.

And look at this organ. There are two of them, by the way, on both sides of the nave. I'd love to hear them will all the stops out. Playing something baroque, like Bach. Loud.

The Monastery of San Jeronimo

If you come to Granada with no advance reservations to get into the Alhambra, chances are that you're going to have to wait a few days. But, you need not worry, there's plenty to see. I recommend buying the multi entry Granada ticket, which costs €33.50 for three days and gets you into the Alhambra (with a timed appointment,) the Cathedral, and a couple of monasteries that are well worth the time. There's the Carthusian Monastery, which is a small gem that definitely warrants the short bus trip up the hill.

And, within easy walking distance of the center of Granada is the remarkable Monastery of San Jeronimo.

The architectural style of the building is pure Renaissance, that being the style of the age. The building was begun in 1504, just a little more than a decade after the reconquest of Granada by Fernando and Isabel. San Jeronimo, like the Carthusian Monastery and the Cathedral of Granada, celebrates the Christian triumph. And, in grand style, the simultaneous beginning of the influx of the vast wealth of the recently discovered Americas.

So, Granada ends up with very well endowed Christian monuments to go along with the incomparable Moorish Alhambra. Don't miss them when you visit the city. If you don't pay homage to the Christian re-conquerers, you're missing the history, and a lot of extraordinary art as well.

The Carthusian Monastery

We've been to Granada a few times in our short lives, but never for more than a couple of days, and never to spend much time with the Christian monuments. I mean, the Alhambra is here, which is arguably the most beautiful palace in the world. But this time we're here for almost a week, so we bought the Granada Card, which gets you into most everything (and is the only way to get into the Alhambra if you haven't made reservations weeks in advance.)

So, we've been bopping around this charming city, seeing parts of it that we missed on earlier visits. Especially gratifying is that Granada is maybe the best tapas city in Spain–and that's saying something.

But I digress.

So, we've been wandering a lot, and having Tinto de Verano and beers and tapas, and getting around to seeing some amazing Christian churches/monasteries that we missed on our earlier visits. One of those is the Carthusian Monastery.

The Carthusians were a prominent order in their day, and were maybe most famous for being among the first martyrs of the Reformation in England. There are several paintings in the refectory of the monastery of the martyrdom of the English Carthusians who did not endorse Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. For the most part, they were condemned as traitors, and got to suffer the horrible death reserved for traitors of being hung, drawn and quartered. (That's what they did to Mel Gibson at the end of Braveheart, in case you need a reference.)

But I digress again.

The monastery in Granada is one of the most charming (if you can use that word for a Baroque church) churches I've ever seen. It's not big, but the artistry is amazing. Unfortunately photos were prohibited, so the only ones I got were ones I was able to shoot from the hip.

The main altar is a golden edifice that is surrounded by the usual surfeit of decoration in both sculpture and painting. But it is the chapel behind the main altar that utterly wows you. There is an alabaster carved baldacchino that is astonishing for its whimsy, artistry, and beauty. Again, I wish I could have wowed you with lots of photos, but you'll have to be content with the one below. Next time you're in Granada, yes, go see the Alhambra, but check this one out as well.

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