The Refectory and the Sala de Profundis - Carthusian Monastery

The refectory and the sala de profundis of the Monastery of La Cartuja de Granada constitute two of the corresponding areas of its common rooms. Both are organised by means of the cloister, a 17th century work dedicated to communal life.

Would you like to know more about these two rooms of the Monastery of the Carthusian Monastery? Read on!

The Refectory of the Cartuja Monastery in Granada

The refectory is a simple room with a ribbed vault, with Gothic evocations, which shows the austerity of the Carthusian monks. It was built between 1531 and 1550. It has three semicircular arched windows and a simple oculus that provide light and a masonry bench that runs along the room. The pulpit next to the entrance is preserved.

On the other hand, the kitchen and pantries are located on the south side at a lower level.

Today, we can see on its walls valuable paintings by Fray Juan Sánchez Cotá, who entered as a Carthusian monk in Granada in 1603.

At the head of the church is the painting of the Holy Supper. In this painting he wanted to show the sensation that it was taking place in the same room by means of perspective and lighting effects. 

The floor depicted is the same as that of the Refectory, as are the two windows in the background, which seem to form part of the architecture. The faces of the figures in the painting are very naturalistic.

Above this painting, he painted a cross using the trompe l'oeil technique to create a relief effect.

The other paintings in the Refectory belong to three different series:

• The first deals with the origin of the Carthusian order.
• The second deals with the history of the first Carthusian martyrs.
• The third consists of three works: ‘The Calvary of St. John and the Virgin’, ‘Ecce Homo’ and ‘Jesus on the way to Calvary’.
   

The Sala de Profundis of the Carthusian Monastery of the Charterhouse of Granada

The Sala de Profundis was the monks' place of prayer before meals, which is accessed through the small door at the foot of the Refectory. It was built in 1600.

In this room, the monks prayed the penitential psalm De profundis clamavi ad te (From the depths I call you), during the suffrages for the dead.

What stands out most is the front. It has an altarpiece with classicist traces painted in trompe l'oeil grisaille. The study of perspective and the analysis of light is so real that it manages to deceive the viewer. The painting of ‘St. Peter and St. Paul’, signed on the blade of the sword, can be glimpsed. It has a clear Mannerist influence, as do the works that Navarrete el Mudo did for El Escorial.

Other paintings by Cotán can be seen in the room. Of particular note are the three that belong to the series of the origins of the order where the place indicated by Saint Hugo for the construction and the beginning of the works of the Charterhouse is narrated, as well as the appearance of Saint Peter to the disciples in order to reinforce their faith.

Did you know all this information about the Refectory and the Sala de Profundis of the Charterhouse of Granada? What did you think of it?

Have you ever visited the Monastery of the Carthusian Monastery of Our Lady of the Assumption in Granada? You can access through our website and purchase tickets for your visit, as well as the purchase of our Granata Christiana Pack, which gives you access to several monuments of Granada.

Also, don't miss the Documentary Film directed by Óscar Parada about La Cartuja de Granada. With the purchase of the viewing you will be collaborating in the construction of a lift to facilitate access to the Monastery for people with reduced mobility.