What to see in the Royal Chapel of Granada

The Royal Chapel is one of the essential monuments that anyone who travels to the city of Granada must visit, due to its artistic, cultural, historical and religious references. For this reason, we have prepared an article where we have compiled everything there is to see in the Royal Chapel of Granada.

Would you like to know which are the most outstanding rooms and spaces of the Royal Chapel of Granada? Stay and read this post, we show you everything you need to know below!

Temple

The temple of the Royal Chapel of Granada was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist, to whom the Catholic Monarchs had a great devotion. Within this site there is a remarkable ribbed vault and the presence of the royal coat of arms in numerous corners.

There is also a suspended choir at the back of the church and several chapels with Renaissance and Baroque elements. Thus, the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Chapel of San Ildefonso stand out.

We should also mention the High Altarpiece, the work of Felipe de Bigarny and considered one of the first altarpieces carved in Spain, which makes it one of the jewels par excellence of national Plateresque art.

Mausoleum and crypts of the Catholic Monarchs

Undoubtedly, the greatest cultural interest of the Royal Chapel of Granada lies in the presence of the remains of the Catholic Monarchs. This monument was ordered to be built by Queen Isabella so that she could be buried after her death. Work began in 1505 and was completed in 1517.

Thus, in the centre of the chapel we can see a mausoleum dedicated to the kings Isabella and Ferdinand and, next to them, another dedicated to their daughter Juana and her husband Felipe. In them, we can see the representation of these four personalities on a large scale and carved in marble, accompanied by an outstanding decoration around them.

It is worth noting that, under these tombs, there is an austere crypt where we can see the royal coffins, made of lead. Here we also find the coffin of Miguel de la Paz, grandson of the Catholic Monarchs.

Sacristy - Museum

In addition to depositing his remains in the Royal Chapel in Granada, Queen Isabella ordered that some of his most important possessions be transferred to the place of his burial. As a result, an important part of her legacy is housed in the museum in the monument's sacristy.

This means that we can see paintings by Italian and Spanish artists from the 15th-18th centuries from the queen's private collection, costumes used in royal ceremonies and jewels and jewellery for personal use such as the crown, the sceptre, the chest, the queen's mirror and the king's sword. There are also books belonging to the queen's library and her missal, painted by Francisco Flores in 1496, among many other possessions.

Lonja

Finally, to get to know everything we can see in the Royal Chapel of Granada, we could not forget to mention the commodities exchange.

This space was built in response to the merchants' need for a customs and commercial building to carry out contracts. Thus, it was built in 1518, annexed to the Royal Chapel of Granada, and was used for banking and trade.

Today, we can see paintings, murals and portraits of the Catholic Monarchs inside the commodities exchange, including a copy of "The Surrender of Granada" by Francisco Padilla.

Why visit the Royal Chapel of Granada?

As you have seen throughout this article on what to see in the Royal Chapel of Granada, inside you will find fascinating spaces that take you back to a bygone era and allow you to learn about the history and the impact that the Catholic Monarchs had on the city. In addition, we will have the opportunity to admire great works of art and enjoy its beautiful architecture and decoration.

If you would like more information about this monument, do not hesitate to buy tickets for the Royal Chapel of Granada on the official website of the Archdiocese of Granada. Let yourself be surprised by this temple and enjoy its rooms!