What to see in San Jerónimo Monastery

As a result of the taking of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs, the city underwent an urban expansion characterised by the creation of important sites that are now considered monuments of great historical and cultural wealth. For this reason, it is important to know what you can see in the Monastery of San Jerónimo.

Would you like to discover the rooms of the Monastery of San Jerónimo located in the city of Granada? Stay and read this post, we will show you everything you need to know below!

Cloisters and chapels

In the Monastery of San Jeronimo in Granada we can see 2 cloisters. Both offer beautiful vegetation, making the gardens create an idyllic setting where a sense of peace is conveyed.

The main cloister has a façade by Martín Díaz de Navarrete and, at the entrance, we can see the motto "Soli Deo honor et gloria", that is, "Only to God honour and glory". On the left we can see the funeral chapel of Pedro García Tendilla (judge of Granada), which has a ribbed vault decorated with murals representing the 4 virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

To the right of this cloister there is another chapel, that of the Sánchez Dávila family, currently dedicated to the prayer of the community of the Hieronymite nuns. In it is the tombstone of Fray Jerónimo de Madrid, founder of the Monastery of Santa Paula de Granada.

With regard to the second cloister, it should be noted that it was the residence of Isabella of Portugal after her marriage to Emperor Charles V, who became pregnant with her first-born son during her stay in the Monastery of San Jerónimo.

Rooms

On entering the Monastery of San Jerónimo we find rooms of great importance such as the refectory, a place where the community met to eat while listening to a monk reading religious books. There is also the sala de profundis, dedicated to prayer.

The chapterhouse has the tombstone of Pedro Ramiro de Alva, prior of the monastery and archbishop of Granada between 1526 and 1528. Also, under the floor of this room is the crypt where the remains of the Hieronymite mothers who died in the monastery are currently buried.

Another room that deserves special attention is the sacristy, inside which we can admire numerous decorative elements of great value and beauty.

Church

The Church of the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Granada has a beautiful Plateresque façade by Diego de Siloé and the temple is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

It has a single rectangular nave with four bays and the choir is located at the foot, showing a late Gothic style that is transformed into Renaissance in its Main Chapel.

During the 18th century the monks covered its walls with mural paintings, a task that was entrusted to the workshop of Juan de Medina and carried out between 1723 and 1735.

In the church we can observe several chapels such as the one dedicated to San Pío V, the one corresponding to the images of Jesus tied to the column, the one with the Inmaculada from the school of Alonso Cano, the funeral chapel of Gil de Carranza, the chapel dedicated to the burial of the Counts of Las Infantas, the chapel presided over by the figure of the Archangel Saint Michael and the one with the image of the Virgin of Bethlehem from the 18th century.

Main Chapel

Finally, to get to know everything you can see in the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Granada, we could not forget to mention its Main Chapel.

Here lie the remains of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and his wife, María Manrique. This personality was a famous military man of the Catholic Monarchs and was involved in such important acts as the Taking of Granada, the Wars of Naples and the reconquest of the island of Cephalonia, among others.

María Manrique asked King Carlos I to dedicate the entire Main Chapel to the memory of her husband, and she was responsible for all the necessary expenses. His sword was placed on the left side of the altar, which has been replaced by a replica.

The crypt of the Gran Capitán was desecrated by Napoleon's troops, although part of his bones were saved and returned to the monastery.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the altarpiece of the Main Chapel of the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada was worked on by the best artists from Granada and Seville at the time.

Why visit the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada?

As you have seen throughout this article on what to see in the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada, inside you will find different rooms, highlighting the beauty and majesty of its Church and its Main Chapel, positioning it as one of the most fascinating places in the city of Granada.

If you would like to see this monument first hand, you can buy tickets to the Monastery of San Jerónimo on our official website of the Archdiocese of Granada. Let yourself be amazed by the history and the spectacular nature of this site!