The Church of San Nicolás and its tower

The Church of San Nicolás perched on the San Nicolás viewpoint is another of the monuments that we must see if we plan our visit to the Nasrid city of Granada. Don't you know it yet? Do you want to know a little more about its history? Keep reading our article.

Architecture of the Church of San Nicolás

It was built on the site of an earlier mosque, of which only the cistern remains today. It is one of the oldest Mudejar churches in Granada along with that of San Cristóbal. It is a 16th century work attributed to Rodrigo Hernández.

It is located next to one of the most famous viewpoints overlooking the Alhambra, to which it gave its name.

Restoration work began in 2016. These are focused on the restoration of the pavements, the elimination of damp, the restitution of the original masonry and the application of a plaster to return ‘the image of continuous but renovated material’.

On the other hand, the tower was built in 1543 and is reminiscent of the Hispano-Muslim minarets. It has a square floor plan and offers the public an unequalled panoramic view. One of the jewels we can see from here is the Alhambra.

The Church of San Nicolás and its tower

This is a construction of simple and wide volumes in whitewashed brick. In the imposts with gabled roofs of Arabic tile is combined with the colour red. The main nave is higher than the chapels and has buttresses.

The façade was built in the 19th century and is located on the southern façade, in the square of the famous San Nicolás viewpoint, in front of the Alhambra. It consists of a rectangular bay attached to the walls of the original church.

The square tower is attached to the left corner at the foot of the church.

On the other hand, the church has a single nave and five side chapels attached to each side. These chapels are separated by the starts of the four pointed diaphragm arches that allow the space to be covered.

In the high altar, in the area of the chancel, there are still remains of the Gothic ribbed vaults that could cover this space. According to Barrios Rozúa, these may not be the original ones and may have been remade in the 19th century after part of the church was destroyed by a lightning strike.

Interventions and restorations

Various interventions and/or restorations have been carried out in the Church of San Nicolás. We are going to know what they are.

• In 2011, due to the partial collapse of the main altar, the deteriorated roof tiles and framework were removed and replaced with a metal structure and a corrugated iron roof. This was a temporary measure until the official restoration work could be carried out. On the other hand, interventions were also carried out to reduce the effects of capillary damp.
• In 2014, emergency work had to be carried out to consolidate the roof due to the collapse of some of the beams in one of the side chapels.
• In February 2016, restoration work began, the architect in charge of which is Antonio Martín Muñoz, whose project has been underway for a couple of years. The intervention on the vault stands out as the most innovative, where a volumetric restitution was carried out to recover the original. To this end, a halo of zenithal light will be incorporated into the interior of the church. Similarly, on the exterior, the cladding was also to be restored. In the tower, on the other hand, the aim was to rebuild the entire structure of the staircase, as well as consolidating the bell tower and the cladding.

Buy your tickets to the Church of San Nicolás and its tower

As you have seen throughout this article on the Church of San Nicolás and its tower, this site has witnessed centuries of history and transformation, standing the test of time and becoming an enduring symbol of this city's rich cultural heritage.

If you would like to catch a glimpse of the most amazing views of Granada, you can buy tickets to the Church of San Nicolás and its tower on our official website of the Archdiocese of Granada.

Let yourself be amazed by the beauty of this site and its impressive viewpoint!