The Church and the Tabernacle of the Monastery of La Cartuja

The Cartuja Monastery is a very emblematic monument of the city of Granada, being considered one of the most symbolic works of the Spanish Baroque. Thus, you should know the history of the Church and the Tabernacle of the Cartuja Monastery, two spaces that have an exceptional beauty capable of surprising and capturing the attention of any visitor.

Would you like to discover the characteristics and composition of the Church and the Tabernacle of the Monastery of La Cartuja? Stay and read our post, we will show you everything you need to know below!

The Church of the Monastery of La Carthusian Monastery

The most impressive part of the Cartuja Monastery in Granada is its church, which was begun by Cristóbal Vílchez in the 16th century, although its construction was not completed until the following century.

This facility has a single nave divided into three sections, each with its own entrance door. Thus, one section was for the faithful and the other two for laymen and monks, with a separation between the area for the faithful and the rest of the sections by means of grilles.

Inside we can see impressive altarpieces by Sánchez Cotán, such as the 17th century Rest in the Flight into Egypt and the Baptism of Christ. There are also works by Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra in which baroque plasterwork predominates, decorating and adding a unique beauty to the place.

The most striking part of the Cartuja Monastery Church is its high altar, covered by an elliptical vault. It consists of an altar-baldachin of gilded wood that reveals the large crystal that, within a semicircular arch, separates the presbytery from the Sanctum Sanctorum, or what is commonly known as the Tabernacle.

The tabernacle of the Cartuja Monastery

The Sagrario del Monasterio de la Cartuja de Granada was erected between 1704 and 1720 by the artist Francisco Hurtado Izquierdo, who used the best professionals of the time to combine their knowledge of architecture, sculpture and painting. Thus, through this combination of the arts, the aim was to create a masterpiece.

It is impossible to enter the Sagrario of the Cartuja Monastery and not be amazed by its vault, frescoed by Antonio Palomino, where we can see the Holy Trinity in the central part.

In the intercolumniations that support the arches on which the dome rests, there are sculptures of Saint Joseph, Saint Bruno, Mary Magdalene and Saint John the Baptist. Well-known figures such as José de Mora and José Risueño participated in the creation of these sculptures.

In the centre of the Tabernacle there is a tabernacle of red and black marble with eight Solomonic columns with allegories of truth, integrity, examination of conscience, frugality and other Carthusian virtues.

Likewise, the great choice of materials used, where we can see marble of different colours, golden and shiny elements, canopies, curtains and original paintings, make the environment acquire a great religious sense.
 

Why visit the Cartuja Monastery in Granada?

As you have seen throughout this article where we have collected the most important facts about the Church and the Tabernacle of the Monastery of the Charterhouse of the Carthusian Monastery of Granada, the interior of these two areas has a structure and artistic works that leave no one indifferent, transporting us to another era and allowing us to feel the experiences of the Carthusian monks.

Would you like to know more about the Cartuja Monastery? Buy your tickets on the official website of the Archdiocese of Granada and enjoy this beautiful baroque monument.