Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo — Attraction in Granada

The Cuarto Real was a palace complex of small dimensions, owned by Queen Fatima or Aixa, Boabdil's mother, and used as a place of rest and retreat. It was probably for this reason that Queen Isabella I of Castile was seduced and decided to buy it from Queen Fatima, under the terms of the surrender agreements signed in Santa Fe, which stated that the owners of the properties could continue to enjoy them even if they left Granada. In 1493, it was ceded to the Order of the Preachers of Santo Domingo, along with the Almanjarra Mayor orchard next to the palace, for the construction of the Convent of the Holy Cross, hence its name: Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo.

The Cuarto Real dates from the 13th century and is the clear predecessor of the construction of the Alhambra, being the origin of Nasrid architecture and decorative themes. The estate, called Huerta Grande de la Almanjarra, is located next to Plaza de los Campos, in the former suburb of the Alfarreos, which was probably walled in during the reign of Muhammad II (1273-1302).

The importance of this palace lies in its state of pre-Alhambra construction, that is, in being the direct precursor of the architectural and decorative solutions reflected in the palaces of...

It’s quite small and probably not worth it if you’re only in Granada for a few days. Quick stroll around that takes 15-30 minutes. Some of the older reviews state that it’s free - perhaps something has changed as it’s only free on Sundays otherwise it costs €2 per person. Would recommend coming by when it’s free and if you have extra time around the city, otherwise probably not worth the trip. We also had issues paying with a foreign credit card when we first tried to enter during the week - it kept rejecting our transaction (haven’t had any problems anywhere else in Spain nor did the issuing bank have any fraud concerns) and we weren’t allowed to pay in cash. Ended up being for the better because we just came back when it was...

Maravilloso espacio muy poco conocido y visitado en comparación con otros monumentos de época nazarí de Granada. La labor de excavación, restauración y puesta en valor de todo el conjunto ha sido bestial.

Lo que más llama la atención del Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo es, evidentemente, la quba o salón de recepciones, que es la joya del monumento. Se trata de una sala de planta cuadrada construida en el interior de uno de los torreones de la muralla levantada a principios del siglo XIV en torno al barrio de los alfareros la antigua Granada. Es un ejemplo perfecto de arte nazarí primitivo, anterior a la Alhambra, con abundancia de mocárabes, atauriques, celosías, yesería, decoración de azulejos, etc.

Sin embargo, las excavaciones arqueológicas han sacado a la luz la parte residencial y de servicio de esta antigua almunia o palacio nazarí. Entre los restos recuperados destacan una alberca en torno a la cual se organizaban diversas salas cuyo pavimento original se ha conservado en algunos casos. podemos apreciar espacios de cocina, de residencia, letrinas, una fuente, etc. También se conservan una serie de bóvedas subterráneas de época almohade.

La almunia del Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo fue donado por los Reyes Católicos tras la conquista de Granada con el fin de levantar en sus terrenos el Convento de Santa Cruz la Real, el mayor convento de Granada, al que pertenecían el Colegio Mayor del mismo nombre y la Iglesia de Santo Domingo. El Cuarto Real como tal fue dedicado a capilla, jardines y huertas...