Granada Charterhouse

Among the many treasures Granada holds, the Charterhouse occupies a place all of its own: it is considered one of the high points of Spanish Baroque architecture. Those who step through its doors discover a building in which different styles coexist, but where the Baroque ultimately prevails as the main reason to come here, taking your time and keeping a watchful eye.

Its full name, the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of the Assumption of the Charterhouse, already hints at its origins and its dedication. It was founded in the 16th century to house a community of Carthusian monks, an order known for its secluded and silent way of life. That community lived in the monastery for almost three centuries, until the exclaustration of 1835 brought monastic life within its walls to an end.

That long history goes a long way towards explaining the blend of styles visible throughout the complex. A building raised and inhabited over such a long period gradually took on the tastes of each era, and the result is a place that reads almost like an art history book. It is well worth exploring at a leisurely pace, noticing how the different parts speak to one another and how the Baroque reaches here one of its finest expressions in Spain.

Its value did not go unnoticed. On 3 June 1931 a decree declared it a historic-artistic monument belonging to the National Artistic Treasure, and today it is protected as a Site of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural). For travellers interested in heritage, the Charterhouse is an essential stop in Granada: a former place of contemplation turned into one of the great benchmarks of Spanish Baroque art.