Royal Chapel and Cathedral of Granada
Royal Chapel of Granada
Granada was the capital of the Nazarí Kingdom until January 2, 1492, when it was taken over by the crown of Castile and became the jewel in the crown of the Catholic Kings. When the Reconquest ended with the taking of Granada, Queen Isabel the Catholic chose Granada as her burial place and founded what was to be her funeral chapel: the Royal Chapel of Santos Juanes. It is a beautiful chapel that you will hardly need an hour to visit. You can see the mausoleums of the Catholic Monarchs but also those of her daughter Juana Queen of Castilla "Juana la Loca (Joanna the Mad)'' and her husband Felipe "el Hermoso (The Handsome/the Fair Felipe)". Don't miss the crypt and the sacristy where the museum of the Royal Chapel is installed.
Next to the Royal Chapel, although in separate buildings, the Cathedral of Granada stands as the most impressive building in the city of Granada. Founded by King Fernando in 1504 and built in the heart of what was once the medieval city and on the same site as the Aljama Mosque, Granada's cathedral brings together different styles from late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. The splendour of its architecture is due to the idea of the Emperor Carlos V of turning it into the pantheon of the Spanish royal family following the trail of the burials in the Royal Chapel.
Unfortunately, the emperor's wish never became a reality and no king of Spain was buried in Granada's cathedral with the change in plans that led to Philip II coming to the throne and the building of the Escorial. Masters such as Enrique Egas, Diego de Siloé and Alonso Cano left in Granada a lesson in architecture among the stones of our Cathedral. The visit of the Royal Chapel and the Cathedral is very easy and comfortable because both are located in the centre of the city of Granada, near the Plaza del Carmen (Town Hall) to the Plaza Bib-Rambla or the Gran Via.
Next to the Royal Chapel and Cathedral you will find the Alcaicería (old silk and spice market) full today of little shops that will take you to the medina of any Arab city.
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We recommend you:
The best thing to do is to visit the Royal Chapel and the Cathedral as if they were a single place, so you can better understand Granada that was born after the Reconquest, through the stylistic evolution of both monuments.
They do not close at midday and perhaps it is a good time for the visit as there are usually fewer visitors at that time. Another important thing: the Cathedral closes on Sunday morning for sightseeing, you will find it open but only for worship.
