The circular courtyard
A round court of two column tiers inside a square building โ a bold architectural idea for its time.
No. The circular courtyard is free to anyone who reaches the Alhambra hill, even without a ticket for the complex. That is useful if tickets are sold out: you can see this courtyard and walk around the walls without paying.
Because it was built after Granada's fall by demolishing part of the standing Muslim buildings, and its Renaissance style has nothing to do with its surroundings. The argument is old and unsettled: an intrusion into a place not its own, or a masterpiece that earns its place?
Yes if time allows. It shows original pieces taken from the palaces and preserved here: carved wooden doors, tilework and large jars. Seeing them close up explains detail you cannot make out in the palaces themselves, where it is high up or far away.
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The Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance building standing inside the Alhambra, put up by the Emperor Charles V in the sixteenth century, decades after Granada fell. It is square outside and circular within, and its round courtyard with two tiers of columns is among the most celebrated pieces of Renaissance architecture in Spain. Its presence here has always been argued over: it was built by demolishing part of the Muslim buildings, and its style has nothing to do with its surroundings. Some see it as an intrusion into a place that is not its own; others as a masterpiece in its own right. It was never actually finished, and stood roofless for centuries. Entry to the courtyard is free and does not need an Alhambra ticket; two museums inside have separate tickets.
A round court of two column tiers inside a square building โ a bold architectural idea for its time.
Original pieces from the Alhambra โ carved wood, tilework and ceramic jars โ that explain what you see in the palaces.
A European Renaissance building at the heart of an Islamic complex โ comparing it with its surroundings is part of the experience.
Alhambra complex, 18009 Granada