Monday, June 27, 2011

Highlights of Granada: San Jeronimo Monastery (Part 1)

 Greetings,
In Granada, one of the sites that I remembered the most was the Monastery of San Jeronimo.  Being one of the oldest buildings within the cities, it is an amazing sight for anyone to see within the city.  The tourism website for Granada describes the building this way:

"San Jeronimo Monastery is the first monastery to be built after the conquest of the city by the Christians. Here was buried the Great Captain.

The construction of the monastery of San Jeronimo began in 1496, at a place called the Almoravid, now occupied by the hospital of San Juan de Dios. All the stones used for its construction were taken by the Kings from the Arab gate of Elvira.

The first courtyard of the Monastery of San Jeronimo has thirty-six semicircular arches with shields with the initials of kings, the first Archbishop of Granada and the monk Jeronimo Hernando de Talavera. The second has short arches in the Gothic style.

The main attraction of the Monastery of San Jeronimo is the sacristy, one of the best examples of Spanish Baroque. The viewer is dazzled by the sight of the effect the light has on the ornamentation created by Luis Cabello, who produced more than a thousand carvings.

The Monastery of San Jeronimo also has one of the best works of Gil de Siloe, his beautiful altar.
"
(http://www.lovegranada.com/monuments/san-jeronimo-monastery/)


I hope that you enjoy my series on this amazing building. 









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