Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel Tour – behind the scenes
The Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel are the most significant churches in the Granada historical city center. A journey through history will help you discover the main characters of the drama about when, how, and why these magnificent buildings were erected.
In this guided tour we will find answers to all these questions. Come and get to know in-depth the exciting history of these buildings.
Three reasons to visit the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel
There are three important reasons to visit the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel. These concern with their sponsors, their similarities, their iconography and a client experience.
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Who are behind these institutions?
The first reason is to discover who ordered their construction: its builders were none other than the most-venerated characters in the history of Spain. Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon were known as the Catholic Monarch (Los Reyes Católicos).
The Royal Chapel was a personal project of these rulers, meant as a burial place. It was Queen Isabella who made clear in her testament her desire to be buried in Granada.
And I WANT and command that my body be buried in the San Francisco Monastery, which is in the Alhambra of the city of Granada…..”.
It reveals personal stories of this royal family. Once inside, we can delight in getting to know its vast legacy.
Building the Cathedral of Granada was also a personal wish of the Queen and King.
Granada had become the most important city in the Kingdom. It was imperative to build a Cathedral to evangelize and teach the foundations of Christianity to the new subjects of the crown, who had practiced Islam for centuries. That wish would take 180 years to complete.
Another crucial situation arose with the visit of Charles V and I of Spain. The king of Spain wanted to be buried in the Cathedral of Granada as a continuation of his grandparents’ wish.
This desire of the King dictated the configuration of the main chapel of the Cathedral. His son and successor, Felipe II, did not allow for the fulfillment of this wish.
Today, the Cathedral niches are empty and have never been used.
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Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel are surprisingly similar
The second reason for visiting both churches is the similarity between them.
We have already discovered they are pantheons. Besides that, both are hubs for Christianity. We should not forget that Granada was ripe for the harvest, since there had been no churches before 1492.
The cross gives unity to both churches because it joins heaven and earth.
In the Royal Chapel, a Christ figure is on the cross over the attic. In the Cathedral, a stained-glass window around the main chapel dome depicts the same scene. Both buildings speak of Christ’s Passion.
Glass is made by first melting sand and then blowing it to shape it. God made mud and then breathed. The stained-glass window represents the man who sees himself. But only God can enlighten man to see himself as he is.
The light always comes from outside, just as it does in the Cathedral.
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Its iconography teaches us a great deal
And the third and last reason not to miss these churches is that both are didactic. The iconography of the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel is highly educational.
Elements such as sculptures, paintings, and stained-glass windows are visual aids that illustrate the basis of Christianity for us.
Both monuments are a triumph of faith and represent a new beginning for the population of Granada.
What will you discover during the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel guided tour?
During this private guided tour, you will discover other curiosities and unique details that will surprise you.
Join me on a two-hour journey through time as we visit the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel. It is not necessary to buy the Cathedral tickets or Royal Chapel tickets in advance. We can purchase those directly the same day of the tour. The price is 5 Euros per adults in both cases. Children under 12 years old have free admission.
- We will walk around the buildings to observe their exteriors and learn why they were built in these specific locations.
- We will then step inside these architectural treasures. We will begin the tour at the Cathedral and finish at the Chapel.
- Do not miss this opportunity to learn more about the foundational events of Spain’s history. When you get to know the main characters of the story and the many decisions made by them, you will understand the real importance of the history of Granada.
