On March 25, 1523, Archbishop Antonio de Rojas Manrique laid the first stone of the Granada Cathedral. This was the first step towards the construction of a cathedral church, would eventually be formally established 181 years laterDecember 24, 1704. Although in fact, as Don Eduardo Garcia, the current dean of the cathedral, explains, this type of building is “never completed.”

Five hundred years later, Garcia has no doubt that it has become one of the greatest attractions of Granada, which “wow” to all your visitors. A monumental building designed to house the royal pantheon, which began in the Gothic style, and eventually became one of the great representatives of the Renaissance and became a symbol of the Christian faith. And this, despite everything, continues in the shadow of the city’s coat of arms: the Alhambra.

“The fact that most tourists come because of the attraction of the Alhambra is undeniable. It’s as powerful as a spotlight that darkens the rest of the city., comments Alberto Moreno, guide and member of AGIP, the Association of Heritage Guides of Granada. And he adds: “Few people know that the Cathedral of Granada is the second largest in Christianity after the Cathedral of Seville. And this is the most important Renaissance style in Spain because most of the Gothic styles are here. Then he had several copies, like the one in Malaga, but they are not so big.

The Cathedral of Granada was conceived by the Catholic Monarchs in their attempt re-christianize and evangelize the city in accordance with the great Catholic traditions after the Muslim occupation. and the reconquest of 1492. The truth is that the affection that the monarchs, and especially Isabella, expressed for the city is well known. Not surprisingly, both are buried in the Royal Chapel of Granada, located next to the cathedral. This relationship led to the project being entrusted to Enrique Egas, their trusted architect, who was inspired by the Cathedral of Toledo to develop his idea.

However, the accession to the throne of Carlos V, the grandson of Isabella and Fernando, changes these plans. “He was a man of a new and open mind, fascinated by the Italian art that was in vogue. AND He made it clear that he wanted to build a Renaissance cathedral.which eventually became predominant in the building, although over the years it has blended with other styles such as Baroque and Classical,” Moreno elaborates.

The project, which Carlos V wanted to promote by entrusting it to the architect Diego de Siloé, whom Moreno considers a “genius”, also called for the building to act as a royal pantheon in which Spanish kings are buried. But, again, the change of the monarch caused the helm to turn. “Felipe II changed his mind when he ascended the throne and moved the royal pantheon to Escorial.. And this leads to the fact that the construction process is greatly slowed down until the work is completed in 1704, ”explains Garcia.

Artworks

The cathedral has a museum and an archive containing a large collection of choral, liturgical, papal, royal and Arabic documents, among others. This entire area can be visited like the rest of the objects, with the exception of the tower. The building is also the seat of the Archdiocese of Granada.. And it is part of the cathedral complex, which also includes the Church of the Tabernacle and the Royal Chapel, the place where the tomb of the Catholic Monarchs is located.

This place is also home to a great heritage, from paintings and jewelers to sculptures and tapestries. “The Church has always wanted to express faith in God through beauty. That is why she has always been a popularizer of art. This is not about turning the cathedral into a museum, but about understanding why the works exhibited there were created. Which its reason and meaning, because even the building itself has a purpose. If it wasn’t just an art warehouse, it wouldn’t make sense to exist,” says Garcia.

But in this collection, two objects should be highlighted in particular. On the one hand, the frame Virgin of Popoloalso known as maiden of forgiveness. Moreno explains that there is great historical weight behind this: it is a gift from Pope Innocent VIII to Queen Isabella, who was placed in the Alhambra on January 2, 1492, after the reconquista, to officiate right before her at the celebration. mass thank God for this victory. On the other hand, there is also a tabernacle, a gift from Queen Isabella La Católica, who comes out in procession during Corpus Christi, one of the most important festivals in Granada.

As for artists, one of them is also worth paying special attention to: Alonso Cano. “This is our Miguel Angel from Granada. He was an architect, painter, sculptor and jeweler and has a huge legacy.. For example, the series of paintings that rises above the altar belongs to him,” says Garcia. “It also has a collection of the Virgin Mary with seven scenes, which are the best compositions of the Virgin in Granada. And also did immaculate conceptionone of the three most interesting sculptures of the Spanish Baroque, according to many experts,” adds Moreno.

Restoration of the tower and reformation of the museum

However, not everything is so positive. The dean also clarifies that the cathedral is “in dire need” of improvement. In addition to improving general services, it identifies two specific tasks that are still not completed to date. First restore the tower so that it can be visited. And secondly, to reform the museum, which today “does not meet the best conditions.”

As for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the start of construction of the cathedral, Garcia comments that there will be a concert in honor of the Virgin Mary on Saturday. But explain what The idea is that the great tribute will take place in 2028, because although the first stone was laid in 2023, the design of the cathedral as we know it today (a turn that took place when Carlos V came to the throne) was carried out five years later.

“This is the beginning of a time to reflect and celebrate these 500 years in order to continue to be a place of exile and wealth. But we would like to extend this process until 2028. The intention is that then it will be possible to celebrate the jubilee year, something that the church reserves for very specific moments,” concludes the rector.