Do you know the Sacromonte Abbey in Granada?

The Abadía del Sacromonte is located on the Valparaíso mountain. Sacromonte is one of the most historic, artistic and cultural areas of Granada. Knowing it helps us to understand even more the cultural and religious past, as well as the Granada of the Counter-Reformation.

Sacromonte Abbey in Granada

This is a historical, artistic and cultural complex made up of the Holy Caves, the 17th and 18th century Abbey, the 17th century College and the Seminary. Its history dates back to 18 March 1588.

In the courtyard there are a total of 28 semicircular arches which, after crossing them, lead to a chapel. This consists of a small altar over the entrance to a mine, which leads to several caves. In 1595, the relics of the disciples of the Apostle St. James, some lead plates written in Arabic, an oven, some ashes and the leaden books were found in these caves.

In the main cave there is a cross thought to belong to Saint John of God. Likewise, in front of the entrance to these caves is an Immaculate Conception, a gift from Don Pedro Pascasio.

Today, it is considered to be the parish church of the neighbourhood where priests reside.

The history of the Sacromonte Abbey in Granada

As we have already mentioned, the history of the Abadía del Sacromonte begins on 18 March 1588. This is due to the curious discovery in the Torre Turpiana of a parchment written in three languages, an image of the Virgin, some bones that were attributed to St. James the Apostle and a canvas.

Later, on 21 February 1595, ovens dating from Roman times were found on Mount Valparaiso. The remains of San Cecilio, the first bishop of Granada, were found there. This event marked a turning point in history.

Between 1595 and 1604, pilgrimages to Sacromonte Abbey began. This led to the construction of 1,200 crosses on the way to the Holy Caves, of which only 5 remain today.

In 1598, the archbishop of Granada, Don Pedro Castro, created 4 chaplaincies to attend to the pilgrims. This is the current complex of the Santas Cuevas.

It was not until 30 April 1600 that the authenticity of the relics found in the Abbey was recognised. On the other hand, in 1609 work began on the Abbey, where a foundation was established with an abbot and 20 canons. A year later, the seminary-college was founded.

Between 1615 and 1617 the construction of the choir for religious chants was carried out by Francisco Díaz del Rivero. On 20 December 1623, Pedro Castro was lost. This caused an important economic cutback, leading to a halt in the construction of the Abbey. 

The works were not resumed until 1711 thanks to the contributions of Archbishop Don Martín Azcargorta. It was in 1895 when the neo-Gothic chapel of Don Dionisio de Areopagita and the new college were completed.

It is worth mentioning the date of 1st February 1646, which was an important day, as Saint Cecilio was named Patron Saint of the city of Granada. On the other hand, in 1929 the museum of the Abbey was founded where you can see important works of art such as paintings by Goya.

A tragic event took place in the year 2000 when the old College burnt down. In a piece of good news, the Vatican returned the Plumb Books to the Abbey.

In recent years, a series of renovations have been carried out, such as the restoration of the main façade, the exterior of the Holy Caves and the Chapel of St. Denis.

We can say that the Sacromonte Abbey in Granada is one of the most privileged places offering wonderful views of the Alhambra, the Albaicín, the Darro River or the Sierra Nevada Peaks.

Buy your ticket online and book your visit to the Sacromonte Abbey.