Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes
There are no El Grecos in this early Renaissance monastery, but the cloisters work their own kind of magic. Fernando and Isabel had the convent built to mark their 1476 victory over the Portuguese and originally intended to be buried here—until the symbolic importance of being buried in Granada trumped that plan. The architecture is the epitome of Isabelline Gothic style—all fiddly pinnacles, mesmerizing vaulting, and pointed arches. In contrast, the interlaced wooden ceiling in the upper cloister has a distinctly Muslim air. The convent was not finished until 1504, when it was dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and turned over to the Franciscans. Look for the chains of freed Christian slaves that hang, at Isabel’s request, from the façade.
Heavily damaged during Napoleon’s invasion, it stood vacant until the late 19th century, when restoration began. In 1954, the state returned the property to the Franciscans and it has been a working friary ever since. As it is located at the western edge of the old city, midway between the San Martín bridge and the Cambrón gate, it’s worth seeking out for the serenity of the courtyard and for the exquisitely graceful stone carvings on the columns of the lower cloister.
There are no El Grecos in this early Renaissance monastery, but the cloisters work their own kind of magic. Fernando and Isabel had the convent built to mark their 1476 victory over the Portuguese and originally intended to be buried here—until the symbolic importance of being buried in Granada trumped that plan. The architecture is the epitome of Isabelline Gothic style—all fiddly pinnacles, mesmerizing vaulting, and pointed arches. In contrast, the interlaced wooden ceiling in the upper cloister has a distinctly Muslim air. The convent was not finished until 1504, when it was dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and turned over to the Franciscans. Look for the chains of freed Christian slaves that hang, at Isabel’s request, from the façade.
Heavily damaged during Napoleon’s invasion, it stood vacant until the late 19th century, when restoration began. In 1954, the state returned the property to the Franciscans and it has been a working friary ever since. As it is located at the western edge of the old city, midway between the San Martín bridge and the Cambrón gate, it’s worth seeking out for the serenity of the courtyard and for the exquisitely graceful stone carvings on the columns of the lower cloister.
Details
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
