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WE'RE GOING TO
THE RED ONE

INTERCHANGE 2019 - 2020.

MARISTAS - MURCIA

The Beauty of Granada

EXCHANGE WITH THE KUNGSHOLMEN INSTITUTE IN STOCKHOLM
SELF-GUIDED TOUR IN ENGLISH/SPANISH TO THE ALHAMBRA OF GRANADA

Expected arrival at 11:00 a.m. at the La Alhambra venue.

11:00 -11:15→ Greeting and introduction. Historical context of the venue.

Instructions on breaks and photos.
11:15 -11:30→ Stop and lunch at Plaza de los Aljibes and Puerta del Vino.

11:30 -11:35→ High Royal Street-Medina and Saint Mary of The Alhambra.

11:35 -11:40→ Brief introduction to the later visit to the Abencerrajes Room in the area
archaeological.
11:40 -11:50→ Introduction to the wall and gates (Gate of Seven Floors).
Medina, Tower of Water, and Irrigation Canal.
Departure to the Generalife (11:50)

12:00 - 12:30 → Arrival at the Generalife (brief introduction).

Generalife Palace and gardens (time for photos).
Exit from the Generalife and return to the Nazarí Palaces.
12:30–12:45→ Walk through the Towers (34, 35, 36).
Archaeological Zone Palace Yusuf.
12:45–13:00→ The Partal (gardens and photos).

13:00–13:15→ Arrival at the Nazarí Palaces (historical-architectural relevance).

13:30–14:45→ Nazarí Palaces

Mexuar
Comares
Palace and Courtyard of the Lions.
Palace of Charles V.

The rules regarding behavior inside the grounds of La Alhambra must be reminded to everyone.
the bus before arrival).

CONSIDERATIONS AND PRELIMINARIES

• The visit takes place in a space classified as National Heritage, so it is

it is necessary to relate to him in a respectful manner.
• Students must stay with their group, in an organized manner, without running or causing disturbances.
to the rest of the visitors.
• The walls are made of plaster, so they cannot be touched, nor can things be left next to them.
lean on them.
• Food and drink will only be consumed in the designated areas for that purpose.

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ITINERARY DISTRIBUTION

11:00 -11:15→ Greeting and introduction. Historical context of the venue.

Alumno encargado: Clara Avilés

11:15 -11:30→ Stop and lunch at Plaza de los Aljibes and Puerta del Vino.

Alumno encargado: Clara Avilés

11:30 -11:35→ High Royal Street-Medina and Santa Mª de La Alhambra.

Student in charge: Yan-Ru

11:35 -11:40→ Brief introduction to the later visit to the Abencerrajes Room in the area.
archaeological.

Alumno encargado: Yan-Ru

11:40 -11:50→ Introduction to the wall and gates (Gate of Seven Floors).
Medina, Water Tower and Aqueduct. Departure to the Generalife (11:50)

Student in charge: Begoña

12:00 - 12:30 → Arrival at the Generalife (brief introduction).

Generalife Palace and gardens (time for photos).
Exit from the Generalife and return to the Nasrid Palaces.

In charge student: Begoña

12:30–12:45→ Walk through the Towers (34, 35, 36). Archaeological area Palace Yusuf.

Student in charge: Alba

12:45–13:00→ The Partal (gardens and photos).

Alumno encargado: Alba

13:00–13:15→ Arrival at the Nazarí Palaces (historical-architectural relevance).

Alumno encargado: Teresa

13:30–14:45→ Nasarid Palaces: Teresa

Mexuar: Yan-Ru
Comares:Alba
Palace and Patio of the Lions: Clara
Palace of Charles V: Begoña

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 GUIDE TO THE ALHAMBRA
Introduction

Between 1238 and 1492, of the two hundred and fifty-four years that separate both dates, Granada was
one of the great capitals of the world. There was no city at that time that could rival its beauty, its
culture and its exquisite delicacy.
They say that the Alhambra was built at night by torchlight: its reddish tones made
to create in the citizens of Granada that the color of the fortress was like that of blood. The Alhambra,
the red castle was built during the reign of al-Ahmbar, who in the middle of the
The 13th century saw the construction of the Alcazaba, the oldest part of the monumental complex. Its
descendants would expand the city and would begin to strengthen the defensive enclosure to avoid the
possible attacks.
The palaces are the work of the two most important kings of the Nasrid dynasty. King Yusuf I who
enriched the palace of Comares and carried out works such as that of the throne room. His son, Muhammad V
I would order the construction of the Arabic baths and a good part of the towers that surround the perimeter.
Alhambra style. It would also project the Patio of the Lions and the private residence of the monarch and his
family. When the Catholic Monarchs entered the Alhambra on January 2, 1492, they discovered
amazed by a dream palace that they committed to preserving for posterity. They decided
preserve the historic monument, just like his daughter Juana. His grandson, Emperor Charles V.
he would order the construction of his palace next to the so-called Royal House Viaj, made up of the rooms
palatinas of Comares and Lions.
Sería Felipe II quien destinó nuevos impuestos para conservar el monumento, pero los sucesivos
Spanish governments caused its abandonment. Charles III would take care of recovering it, but the
French domination (19th century) caused serious damage to some areas of the monument.
In the year 1870, it was declared a National Monument, and in 1984 declared a Heritage of the
Humanity. The Alhambra remains to this day one of the historical monuments that continue
surprising for its art, its advanced construction technique, and its refinement.

Al-Andalus: name given by the Muslims to theIberian Peninsulaunder powerMuslimbetween

the years711y1492. means "land".

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 Aljibes Square and Wine Gate

Square of the Water Tanks.

The name of this square comes from some

cisterns built by the Count of Tendilla
in 1494 in the ravine that separates the
Alcazaba and the palaces. These cisterns are
later turned into the square
whether to bury them along with the streets and the
surrounding squares.

The square forms an extensive esplanade between

the towers and defenses of the Alhambra by
one side, and on the other by theWine Gatey
theArab palacesand thePalace of Charles V.
In 1955, excavations were carried out that discovered the medieval square.

Wine Gate

It is one of the main entrances to the walled enclosure. To

being an interior door, its access is direct, unlike the
exterior doors that should have been more protected and were
built in a bend. However, in its interior area
keep the necessary space and the banks for the guard
what controlled the step.
The delicate arches made in their decoration stand out.
tiles, plasterwork composition and remnants of paint
polychrome that is preserved to the right of the arch.

The Wine Gate owes its name to the fact that in this place, around the year 1556, wine was made.
wine goods, exempt from tax payments, among the inhabitants of the Alhambra and the
merchants. This Wine Door presents two facades from different eras, with horseshoe arches:
▪ The west has above the arch a frieze of voussoirs and a double window.
▪ The east is very rich in ceramics.

High Royal Street-Medina and Saint Mary of the Alhambra

High Royal Street

This crossing is not usually open to the public for conservation reasons. But the Street
Real Alta has been maintained since medieval times. And once a year thePatronage of the Alhambra and
Generalifeit allows passage and then you can walk on it. In those times it was the main route.
from the Medina or citadel of the Alhambra. As often happens in the most important arteries of a

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place, along its sidewalks were public buildings, small factories and also
housing. It was a residential area and also the location of the artisan workshops that served to
the courtNazarí.

Saint Mary Church

Like many Christian temples built after the

Castilian conquest, the Church of Santa María of the
Alhambra was also built on an ancient
mosque. In this case about the Royal Mosque of the
Alhambra, built during the times of Muhammad III
(1302-1309). This practice of erecting temples
religious ones replacing others has been common in
throughout history. In fact, the Royal Mosque of
the Alhambra was built over a Christian temple
earlier, from the Visigothic period. Four days after the
the capture of Granada, the mosque was blessed for the
Christian worship. It became a church under the invocation
from Santa María de la Alhambra. The first Christian Mass was celebrated inside a temple there.

The Church of Santa María de la Alhambra was modified and expanded at the end of the 15th century to nearly
37 meters long, so that it could accommodate the large number of parishioners living in the area.
of the Nazarite monument. It became the first Cathedral of Granada. Little or nothing of this building
It fell. Its state of ruin caused it to be demolished in 1576, and years later the current one was built.
Church of Santa María de la Alhambra, which began to be built in 1581 and was completed in 1618.

Abencerrajes Room in the archaeological zone

It is located in front of theRoom of Two Sisters,and its name is due to the popular tradition
It is assured that in this room the Abencerrajes (Muslim family) were beheaded, although the authors...
they cannot agree on which monarch ordered his execution. In fact, there is a stain of
oxide that covers part of the marble pile of the
center of the room, as superstition presents
like a stain of blood from sayings
Abencerrajes. The entrance to the room presents two
arches separated by a corridor that connects
with the high floor, to the left, and with the lobby
from the primitive entrance to the palace, on the right.
The central square of the room has alcoves in
its sides, with arches decorated in a
exquisite whose columns have capitals
blues, and ceilings with paintings.

The walls have plaster coverings and a

16th-century tile socle, in Renaissance style. Above eight mocárabe trumpets.
we found a magnificent dome also made of muqarnas. In these squinches we can read the

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Next inscription: 'There is no help but that which comes from God, the clement and merciful.'
The windows located at the beginning of the dome allow a dim light to illuminate its
mocárabes, giving it a magical appearance.

Introduction to the wall and doors (Gate of Seven Lands). Medina, Tower of
Water and Irrigation Canal.

Gate of the seven soils

Data from the 15th century. The

monumentality, decoration and
structural complexity of the
door, linked to a mark
symbolic meaning, with which the
sultans aimed to express their
capacity and greatness. It was
carried out around the middle of the
14th century, during the time of Yusuf I,
about another earlier, smaller one.
It is the closest to the Medina and
it must have had a certain character
ceremonial well, according to reports
the chronicles, before her
military parades were being held.

It presents the characteristic closed layout, a defensive element that reinforces it as it forces the
possible attackers to make one or more feints before accessing the interior. On January 2, 1492,
during the Reconquista, Ferdinand the Catholic chose this place as the entrance to the Alhambra. At the same
At that time, the defeated Boabdil was saying goodbye to his Nazari kingdom and leaving Granada through this exit.
According to tradition, he requested that the door never be opened again.

Medina

Also known as Alhambra alta, it was where the nobles of the court resided and where
they found the administrative and religious centers, as well as the palaces and gardens. Currently
the ancient convent of San Francisco is preserved (now converted into a National Parador).

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Water Tower

Its function is different from that of the other towers of the Alhambra, as alongside it occurs the
entry of the Sultan's Acequia to the walled enclosure. It is one of the largest towers of the
Alhambra, located in the corner
southwest of the wall near the current one
main access to the venue. Due to
the bombardments of the artillery of
The Napoleonic army was destroyed.
almost in its entirety, except for its base
solid of her.

During the 20th century, a

process of reconstruction
raising its outer walls. The
originally had three floors
exempt from decoration, due to their nature
military, nestled in a vital location
for the palatine city.

Irrigation canal

It is a water channel, ofNazarite era,of 6kmof length, which was built, within a
complex systemhydraulicto supply theAlhambraand [Link]
thePozos Altos, forbut one of the most important hydraulic structures of theSpainmedieval.

Generalife (brief introduction)

The word Generalife means 'garden of the architect,' but its meaning remains a
mystery. It is believed that the Generalife was part of a set of rest palace that the
The Nazarí aristocracy had it constructed. At the end of the 13th century, the emirs of Granada expanded it.
until turning it into a summer palace for the rest of the whole family. The denomination of
Generalife has received various interpretations throughout its history, ranging from 'Garden' or 'Orchard'
from Zambrero", "the highest of gardens" or "house of artifice and recreation", up to "Mansion of
large 'place or recreation' and 'Garden of the citerist', today commonly accepted as the Garden or
Gardens of the Alarife, that is, of the builder or architect.

After the conquest in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs granted the estate to a keeper for its custody and
enjoyment. This custody passed permanently, starting in 1631, to the Granada-Venegas family.
until, after a long lawsuit initiated in the 19th century, it was incorporated into the State in 1921.

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Generalife Palace and Gardens

The gardens are a set of labyrinthine beds that highlight the importance of water and the
vegetation had en the culture
Hispano-Muslim. In this area grow
cypresses, aromatic plants, rose bushes, and aquatic plants
like the oleanders that decorate the multiples
ponds.

The Generalife, built between the 12th century and

XIV, it is the palace used by the kings
Muslims as a place of rest. It was
conceived as a rural villa, where gardens
ornamental, gardens, courtyards, and buildings are
they are integrated in the vicinity of the Alhambra.
gardens located south of the palace, between the
the path of the Cypresses and the promenade of the Walnut Trees began to be transformed into gardens towards
1930.

Walk through the Towers and Archaeological Area of Palace Yusuf

The relevance of the archaeological remains of what was the palace of Yusuf III is unknown due to not
having remained of him more than the foundations of his most important buildings.

The Partal
The Partal is a gallery of five arts in the shadow of the Tower of the Ladies. In front of the gallery
A rectangular pond extends, at its ends there used to be two stone lions a few decades ago.
that are preserved today in the Alhambra museum. The marked paths lead to the remains
archaeological remains of what was the palace of Yusuf III. Ordered to be built by Muhammad III, of which
There remains a large pond, a portico of five arches, and the Ladies' Lookout Tower.
Alongside it, there are three small and modest houses, out of the nine that existed. In them, there
They discovered some paintings from the 14th century depicting a pilgrimage to Mecca.

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Nazari Palaces
Palatial complex, residence of the kings of
Granada. It is started to be built by the founder of the
dynasty, Alhamar, in the 13th century, although the
buildings that have survived to this day
data, mainly, from the 14th century. These palaces
they enclose within their walls the refinement and the
delicacy of the last Hispano governors
Arabs of Al Andalus, the Nazarites.

The Nasrid palaces, known in the times of the

Christian conquest as the Old Royal House, they are the
result of the union of three great monuments.
The first is the Mexuar, the second the Comares Palace and the third the Palace of the Lions.

Council

This is the oldest palace and the one that has undergone the most transformations. As soon as we enter, we can...
to appreciate a stay originally intended for the audience and justice, was also common.
the monarch's meetings with his ministers. It is beautifully decorated with tile fabrics and is
you can appreciate a fantastic coffered ceiling in polychrome wood. At the end of the room there is
a small but wonderful oratory (that faces Mecca) built of marble with views of
Albaicín. The room undergoes a strong transformation after the arrival of the Catholic Monarchs, which it
they are converted into a chapel, adding a choir and opening windows on the west side. The arches of the courtyard
exterior are demolished, currently represented by vegetable arches.

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Comares

As we have said, the entrance to this palace is through one of the doors of the majestic
Facade of Comares, ordered by Muhammad V to commemorate the victory over
Algeciras, the peak moment of the Nazarene kingdom's expansion. Three steps precede and enhance.
the facade, composed of two twin doors framed by a band of exquisite tile
glazed. The entire facade is decorated with carved plasterwork, maintaining perfect symmetry. In it
higher up you can see what is known as a Granada eaves, formed by small columns
decoradas. Debemos destacar la importancia que tiene el agua para la cultura nazarí y como vertebra
architecture as the central object of all the rooms.

Next, we access the Courtyard of the Myrtles, composed of a pond surrounded by two
rows of myrtles and framed by a series of rooms that were dedicated to administration.
of the kingdom. The Comares Tower has a height of 45 meters and its view allows for a good
reference between the Alhambra and the historic neighborhoods that are at its feet. Inside the tower is
they have written some important pages of the history of Spain. Here Boadbil decided to go to war
against the Catholic Monarchs, it was in this place where Isabel and Fernando handed over the keys to the city
and from where he went into exile never to return. Furthermore, it was in this place that the kings
they confirmed Christopher Columbus as admiral of the New World, and where Emperor Charles V
decided to get involved in his future military battles against France.

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Court of the Lions

In the Alhambra, the Palace of the Lions marks the pinnacle of its architecture. As
synthesis and symbol of its decorative richness and at the same time of the significance of the hydraulic complex of
enclosure, its well-known fountain has been preserved. Its symbolic function is joined by the utilitarian.
complicated operating system allowed to keep the water in the fountain as a sheet. The
the central cylinder of the cup supplied and drained it at the same time, so that the water never overflowed.

On a small scale, the Fountain of the Lions is representative of an entire technical conception that
allowed the creation of the Alhambra; a concept inherited from traditions and experiences
constructive, over many centuries of prolonged and fruitful creativity. Muhammad V was the
inspiring this beautiful palace built during his second term, between 1362 and 1391, as there had
was overthrown after just five years in power. With him, the peak stage of the sultanate is reached.
Nazari, of whose artistic development the Palace of the Lions is somewhat the synthesis of all.
their styles.

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While Comares was assigned to government functions, the patio of the Lions was the refuge.
private of the sultan, of his family and his harem.
The rectangular plant is divided into four parts, in which
in the center lies the fountain of the twelve marble lions of
whose mouths flow with water fountains. A total of 124
Marble columns support the four sides of the courtyard.

Around him, four rooms open up. To the west is the room
of the Mocárabes, the first just upon entering the
dependencies of the courtyard. To the east is the hall of the kings
(features three alcoves covered with paintings attributed to
Italian painters of the 14th century); to the south the hall of the
Abencerrajes, and to the north the hall of the Two Sisters. These last two halls stand out for having
domes with incredible geometric patterns, whose light changes depending on the time of day.

Palace of Charles V

In the year 1524, Emperor Charles V and Queen Isabel of Portugal arrived in Granada.
from Seville, where they had gotten married. The emperor decided to build in the heart of the
Alhambra a palace, next to where their grandparents had lived after the conquest of 1492,
a palace appropriate for his rank. For this, he ordered the architect Pedro de Machuca to build a building
according to that purpose. The architect (trained in the shadow of Michelangelo) drew a courtyard
circular inside a plant
square.
For 24 years the architect
personally supervised the works of his
impressive work. However, Carlos
V, who spent almost his entire life
guerreando por Europa, se olvidó de
that promise to make Granada
the capital of his empire, what not
prevented his son Philip II
will back the works, this time in
hands of Luis de Machuca. Over the years, the works of the palace of Charles V underwent successive
crisis due to lack of funding or disinterest. In the 19th century, the palace was in an almost
of abandonment. It was necessary to wait until 1929 for the palace to be roofed by the architect
Leopoldo Balbás.
Today the palace of Charles V is considered one of the most illustrious examples of the Renaissance.
worldwide, and is perfectly integrated among the other buildings from the Nazarí period.

Currently, the palace houses two museums, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of the Alhambra. Its collections were
gathered after the disappropriation of 1836, coming from the convents and churches of the city and from
the province. They possess works of Nasrid art, copies of the Quran, pieces of the Andalusian system, and others
riches.

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For more information

Guide: [Link]

Visit mantual: [Link]

Interactive mapvo: [Link]

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