Showing posts with label Generalife. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 December 2016

Granada

by Robert Bovington

Granada is a city in the autonomous region of Andalucía, situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. It is one of the great cities of Spain if not the World.

When visiting Granada it is tempting to spend all one’s time admiring the Alhambra. From afar one can admire the beauty of its red walled parapets contrasting with the snow capped Sierra Nevada whilst once inside one can absorb oneself in the sheer splendour of its fantastic palaces and its tranquil gardens. However, Granada has much more to offer the visitor.

It is a city where both Moorish and Christian history is visible in art and architecture.

Moorish Granada is exemplified by the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Alhambra, the Generalife and the Albaicín district whilst the Capilla Real and the Cathedral represent Christian Granada.

Granada - Alhambra © Robert Bovington

for more photographs of Granada click on the following link….

http://www.panoramio.com/user/2391258/tags/Granada

Robert Bovington
December 2016

https://plus.google.com/118235640981670233395/about

Monday, 23 July 2012

The Alhambra Palace, Granada

Posted on July 23, 2012

Reblogged from East of Málaga:

Within Andalucía, our neighbouring province is Granada, meaning that we only live about a 90 minute drive from Granada, one of Spain’s most beautiful cities. Granada offers great architecture, wonderful views of the Sierra Nevada mountains and a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere. The city is well worth of a few days of anyone´s time.

What I want to tell you about in this post, is the amazing…

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Alhambra

The Alhambra sits at the top of the highest wooded hill in the city of Granada. Not only that - this red-walled palace has the fairytale backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Well, for most of the year the mountains are snow-capped - in August, they are somewhat er... rock-capped!

If the view from afar is spectacular, the interior of the Alhambra is simply stupendous! There is so much of artistic merit to see. However, there are four main areas to explore: the Alcazaba, the Palace of Charles V, the Casa Real or Royal Palace and the Generalife Gardens.

Lion Courtyard

The central nucleus of the Alhambra is the Nasrid Palaces. Visitors, who have already admired other parts of this magnificent fortress, are spellbound when they encounter the magnificence of these palaces. If you do not have time to explore the Alhambra in totality, you simply must allow time to visit the Nasrid Palaces! They are built around three courtyards - the Golden Room, the Myrtle Courtyard and the Lion Courtyard.

The Hall of the Ambassadors needs special mention as it is the largest and was the grand reception room. The throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. It was here that Christopher Columbus received Isabel and Ferdinand's support to sail to the New World.

The delightful Generalife garden not only has an avenue of cypress trees, terraced gardens, clipped hedges and grottos, but also fountains and a long water channel (acequia) with water jets surrounded by all manner of plants and flowers. It is a delightful place. No wonder composer Manuel de Falla wrote a piece of music about it!

Robert Bovington

more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Photographs of Spain"	http://bovingtonphotosofspain.blogspot.com/
"postcards from Spain"	http://bovington-posts.blogspot.com/
"you couldn't make it up!"	http://bovingtonycmitup.blogspot.com/
"a grumpy old man in Spain"	http://grumpybobbov.blogspot.com/
"bits and bobs"	http://bovingtonbitsandblogs.blogspot.com/
"Spanish Expressions"	http://spanishsayingsbovington.blogspot.com/
"Spanish Art"	http://bovingtonspanishart.blogspot.com/
"Books About Spain"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Friday, 20 May 2011

The Alhambra

by Robert Bovington

If there is one place you should visit in Spain, it is the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Even those of you who are not in the least interested in culture and would prefer beach and booze to visiting one of the most beautiful artistic creations ever to be built by man, should visit this magnificent site. On second thoughts - don't! People clad in football shirts that fail to hide their potbellies would lower the tone somewhat!

Alhambra viewed from the Mirador San Nicolas
photo: Robert Bovington

The Alhambra reigns supreme in the city of Granada and rightly so. If it stood on a flat plain, it would still be one of the most spectacular fortresses ever built. However, it sits at the top of the highest wooded hill in the city. Not only that - this red-walled palace has the fairytale backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Well, for most of the year the mountains are snow-capped - in August, they are somewhat er... rock-capped! Anyway, at that time of year it is too hot in this region to do anything but laze on the beach or booze! But I digress.

Alcazaba
photo: Robert Bovington

Alcazaba

The Alcazaba, the oldest part of the Alhambra, provides tremendous views of the city, the palace and the gardens.

Palace of Charles V

The Palace of Charles V tends to stand out a bit because it was built in Renaissance style, which is not exactly in keeping with its surroundings. However, it does contain two museums - the Museo de Alhambra and the Museo de Bellas Artes.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace really comprises a number of buildings called the Nasrid Palaces. They are the central nucleus of the Alhambra. Visitors, who have already admired other parts of this magnificent fortress, are spellbound when they encounter the magnificence of these palaces. If you do not have time to explore the Alhambra in totality, you simply must allow time to visit the Nasrid Palaces! They are built around three courtyards - the Golden Room, the Myrtle Courtyard and the Lion Courtyard.

Alhambra - Patio de los Leones
photo: Robert Bovington

Such is their splendour and unsurpassed beauty, that I cannot really find the words to describe the exquisite detail of the palace interiors, so I won't! All I will do is list some of the architectural masterpieces. There is the Hall of the two Sisters, the Hall of the Abencerrages, the Hall of Justice, the Court of the Council Chamber, the Court of the Vestibule and the Peinador de la Reina, or Queen's Robing Room. The Hall of the Ambassadors needs special mention as it is the largest and was the grand reception room. The throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. It was here that Christopher Columbus received Isabel and Ferdinand's support to sail to the New World.

Comares Palace - alcove ceiling
photo: Robert Bovington

Granada Alhambra Patio de los Arrayanes
photo: Robert Bovington

Generalife

There is much more to see than listed here but do leave time to visit the delightful Generalife. This garden not only has an avenue of cypress trees, terraced gardens, clipped hedges and grottos, but also fountains and a long water channel (acequia) with water jets surrounded by all manner of plants and flowers. It is a delightful place.

Generalife
photo: Robert Bovington

Books have been written and music composed about the Alhambra palace. In particular, Washington Irving wrote 'Tales of the Alhambra', Francisco Tárrega composed ´Memories of the Alhambra and the composer Manuel de Falla wrote 'Nights in the Gardens of Spain' which included the piece - 'In the Generalife'.

Washington Irving
drawing: Robert Bovington

The Alhambra and the Generalife are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Spanish Impressions Web Site

GRANADA

by Robert Bovington

website... https://sites.google.com/site/spanishimpressions/home

Granada is a city in the autonomous region of Andalucía, situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. It is one of the great cities of Spain if not the World.

Alhambra Granada

When visiting Granada it is tempting to spend all one's time admiring the Alhambra. From afar one can admire the beauty of its red walled parapets contrasting with the snow capped Sierra Nevada whilst once inside one can absorb oneself in the sheer splendour of its fantastic palaces and its tranquil gardens. However, Granada has much more to offer the visitor. It is a city where both Moorish and Christian history is visible in art and architecture.

Moorish Granada is exemplified by the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Alhambra, the Generalife and the Albaicín district whilst the Capilla Real and the Cathedral represent Christian Granada.

Alhambra and Generalife

Alhambra - Courtyard of the Lions

The Alhambra is a museum of Islamic memories. It is essentially a number of palaces with extensive gardens surrounded by a fortress. There is much to see there including the Nazarite Royal Palaces that are interconnected via the Courtyards of the Myrtles and the Lions. Arabic-Granada art can be appreciated in many locations in the Alhambra as well as in the museums situated in the Renaissance Palace of Charles V that is also located within this spectacular complex.

There are numerous water features in the garden of the Generalife. However, this is not a common or garden estate - it is a summer retreat fit for kings - well sultans anyway! It was the summer residence of the sultans of Granada and consists of a palace surrounded by magnificent terraced gardens amidst avenues of cypress trees. Running water plays an important role in the Generalife with fountains and water jets.

Albaicín

The Albaicín district is an area of winding alleyways and narrow stairways clinging to the side of a hill. It is the ancient Arab quarter but nowadays it is a mix of Moorish and Christian monuments. The churches of San Salvador, San Bartolomé and San José have all been built on top of mosques. A number of small villas are to be found in the Albaicín called 'carmens' - modern versions of a type of Moorish residence comprising a house and its adjoining garden. Other Arab features in this quarter include the underground reservoirs, the Arab baths and the Moroccan shops selling traditional handicrafts. From various locations in the Albaicín there are fantastic views of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada.

The Sacromonte district contains thousands of caves that for more than 600 years have been inhabited by gitanos. It is the area to encounter impromptu flamenco at gypsy fiestas called zambras.

The Capilla Real or Royal Chapel is an impressive Gothic building that was built by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1504 as a mausoleum for themselves - they wanted to live forever in the last of the Arab kingdoms in Spain.

Cathedral

The Cathedral was built in 1523 on the site of the city's main mosque. Like the Capilla Real, its main objective was to unequivocally establish Christian rule in the last city in Spain to be occupied by the Moors.

There are many other places of note in the city including the Palace of the Córdobas, the church of San Pedro, the Renaissance convent of Santa Catalina de Zafra, the Royal Chancery, the Almanxarra Palace and the House-Museum of Manuel de Falla.

Manuel de Falla and Federico García Lorca

Federico García Lorca
(Robert Bovington)

Manuel de Falla, the famous Spanish composer was born in Cádiz but lived for many years in Granada. He was a friend of another Andalucian - Federico García Lorca, the greatest Spanish poet and playwright of the 20th century, who was born just outside of Granada. Lorca died in 1936, during the Spanish Civil War. Fascist soldiers shot him!

Over seventy years later, his home city of Granada has started to honour him. Granada's airport is called 'Aeropuerto Federico García Lorca'; postcards of the poet and his drawings are displayed alongside those of the Alhambra in the city's shops and kiosks and the tourist industry has jumped on the bandwagon by offering 'Lorca route' itineraries. Visits can be made to a number of sites in the area related to Lorca's life including Víznar near Granada, the site of his murder. Situated only a few miles from Granada is the House Museum of La Huerta de San Vicente, where the young Federico lived with his family.

There are very many more places to visit in this wonderful city and it would need a whole book to describe them all. In fact, the Alhambra itself has been the subject of a book - Washington Irving's famous 'Tales of the Alhambra' is an excellent account of the jewel in the crown that is Granada.

Washington Irving
(Robert Bovington)

This article is an extract from “Spanish Impressions” by Robert Bovington

ISBN 978-1-4452-2543-2 available from www.lulu.com

GRANADA in photographs

It is a city where both Moorish and Christian history is visible in art and architecture.

Moorish Granada is exemplified by the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Alhambra, the Generalife and the Albaicín district whilst the Capilla Real and the Cathedral represent Christian Granada.

Photographs of Granada...

http://www.panoramio.com/user/2391258/tags/Granada

Robert Bovington
.......