Granada Cathedral | Granada

Information

Landmark: Granada Cathedral
City: Granada
Country: Spain
Continent: Europe

Granada Cathedral, Granada, Spain, Europe

Granada Cathedral (Catedral de Granada), or the Cathedral of the Incarnation, is a landmark of the Spanish Renaissance. It was built over the site of the city's main mosque following the conquest of Granada.

Visual Characteristics

Architecture: It transitionally combines a Gothic ground plan with a massive Renaissance superstructure. It is known for its soaring white interior, gold-leaf detailing, and enormous Corinthian columns.

The Main Chapel (Capilla Mayor): A circular masterpiece featuring stained glass windows, large paintings by Alonso Cano, and busts of Adam and Eve.

Facade: A Baroque masterpiece designed by Alonso Cano, featuring three tall arches.

Location & Access

Address: C. Gran Vía de Colón, 5, 18001 Granada.

Transit: Central location accessible by most city bus lines (C31, C32, C34, LAC) stopping at Gran Vía or Plaza Nueva.

Access: Paid admission for tourists; separate from the Royal Chapel. Audio guides are typically included in the entry fee.

Key Highlights

Royal Chapel (Capilla Real): Attached to the Cathedral but visited separately. It contains the ornate marble tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon.

Art Collection: The sacristy and museum house significant works of religious art and liturgical objects.

Unfinished Tower: Only one of the two intended 81-meter towers was built, and it was stopped at 57 meters due to soil instability.

Historical Context

Construction began in 1523 under Enrique Egas in Gothic style but was taken over by Diego de Siloé in 1528, who shifted the design to the Renaissance style. It took 181 years to complete, finally finishing in 1704. It was intended by Emperor Charles V to be the imperial mausoleum for the Spanish Habsburgs.