The main altarpiece of the Monastery of San Jeronimo in Granada

The main altarpiece of the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada is one of the most outstanding pieces of Andalusian and Hispanic altarpieces of the Modern Age. Would you like to know why? Find out all about its grandeur in this article.

The main altarpiece of the Monastery of San Jerónimo

The main altarpiece of the Monastery of San Jerónimo is of great classicist importance due to its architecture and the confluence of several masters. These were trained in Romanesque Mannerism in Seville and Granada, in the transition stage from Renaissance idealism to the first Baroque naturalism. Together with the church, it is one of the first late Gothic ensembles of the Spanish Renaissance.

The work of this altarpiece has been debated, with the traces attributed to Jacobo Florentino and Diego de Siloé. Pedro Orrea was in charge of its enlargement.

Work and composition

It consists of a sotobank, bench, four sections and an attic. It is organised into nine aisles separated by columns, the last two on each side being broken in order to adapt to the octagonal structure of the church roof. In the finials we can see allegorical sculptures and heraldic sculptures of the patrons and praying images in the lower corners.

It has a perfect organisation of superimposed architectural orders and an ornamentation that follows the formal and symbolic scheme of the prototype altarpiece of the altarpiece of the Royal Chapel of Granada.

From an iconographic point of view, Martínez Medina has interpreted the whole as a Christological-salvific programme that reflects the mystery of the Redemption. The first section of the main altarpiece of the Monastery of San Jerónimo begins with the Public Life of Jesus, through the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Epiphany. The second, on the other hand, has a Marian character, focusing on the devotion to the Immaculate Conception, and the third and fourth are centred on the Passion.

The sculptural work of Vázquez el Joven, Pablo de Rojas and Martínez Montañés can be mentioned. It has a long list of male and female hagiographic figures that represent the chivalric and spiritual values of the founders.

In the sotabanco we can see the pairs of Esteban and Lorenzo, Cosme and Damián, Úrsula and Susana plus María Egipciana. These are references to healing, martyrdom, penance and obedience. On the other hand, the bench reflects the foundations of the Church.

In the first section, Peter and Paul, reliefs of the princesses Margaret and Catherine with Barbara, and the bust of the monastic founders Bernard and Benedict. In the second are the Saint Johns, exemplary saints of penance and prayer. Dominic of Guzman and Francis of Assisi, the two great mendicant founders, can also be seen. The third section contains the presence of Jerome of Penitence and the apostles James and Andrew.

Finally, in the attic, the saints Justo and Pastor can be seen. Don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, also known as the Great Captain, and his wife, the Duchess of Sessa, Doña María Manrique, are on the sides of the altarpiece.

In short, the main altarpiece of the Church of the Monastery of San Jerónimo represents the culmination of the Quinientist sculptural tradition linked to the imperial works of Granada. It is a purist version of the great Plateresque altarpiece of the Royal Chapel with a similar Christocentric programme.

To know more in depth this set we propose you a visit with audio guide by purchasing your ticket through our website. Buy your ticket online and book your visit to the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada.