The monastery’s interior is anything but humble. Photo courtesy of Martin Haisch via Flickr.
You thought you’d checked off all of Granada’s sights from your list of things to see, but alas, one more remains: The Cartuja Monastery. Opulent, art-filled and 300 years in the making, it’s one more Granada stop that you won’t want to miss.
Often called the Granada Charterhouse or La Cartuja of Granada, the humble-on-the-outside monastery was founded in the early 1500s but in fact wasn’t finished until the 1800s. So while it started as medieval in style, several centuries later and it was ultimately wholly baroque, boasting ornate interiors complete with colorful frescoes, gilded detailing and intricate stonework.
The irony here is that this monastery once housed Carthusian monks, a religious order known for its strict practices, which included its monks living in cells where they fasted, prayed and studied. Their monasteries – and particularly this monastery – are clearly quite the opposite of modest, though, thus making the Charterhouse a pretty intriguing and worthwhile sight when in Granada.
So how come it isn’t a more popular sight when visiting this famous southern Spanish city? Well, the sight largely falls off of tourists’ radar because it isn’t located in the heart of Granada but rather a 25-minute walk from the center. The good news is that you can skip hoofing it and get there more easily by either taking the Granada hop-on, hop-off bus tour or even by renting a scooter in Granada. Note that if you do go – as you should! — the monastery’s opening hours are irregular, as it closes in the afternoon, and the schedule changes from summer to winter.
-Contributed by Erin Ridley
Granada Charterhouse (Cartuja Monastery) from Andalucia & Costa del Sol Things to Do