We have already written about places worth visiting in Granada on several occasions. When spending your holidays on the Costa del Sol, it is well worth taking a few holiday days to visit this wonderful city. Today, we would like to direct your attention to another special place, the Generalife!
It is a complex, located near the Alhambra – which you can read more about here – on the eastern slopes of the Cerro del Sol. During the period of Moorish rule in the Iberian Peninsula, it served as a separate summer residence for the Nasrid rulers of the emirate of Granada, and today it is part of an entire palace-fortress complex that you can visit on a day trip.
From the Moors to the Christians
The name Generalife probably comes from the Arabic – Jannat al-‘Arif, meaning Gardens of the Supreme Architect or Gardens of Paradise Delights. Each of the emirs and then the Christian rulers of Granada wanted the complex to be a reflection of an earthly paradise. To this end, they attached great importance to, among other things, the proper selection of the plants in the garden so that they harmonised with the surrounding ponds, fountains and walls.
Although research carried out on the oldest ornaments of the Generalife indicates that the origins of the complex were in the late 13th century or early 14th century, when Granada was ruled successively by Muhammad II and III, the official date of construction of the Summer Palace with its gardens is considered to be 1319 and the reign of Ismail I.
Over the following years, successive Nasrid rulers made extensions to the Generalife. Today, it is recognised as one of the best-preserved garden complexes, a legacy of Moorish rule in the Iberian Peninsula.
Summer residence
The Alhambra was the official residence of the rulers of Granada, where they carried out all their daily duties. It was therefore considered necessary to build an additional complex to act as an enclave of peace and rest for the rulers. Thus, a summer residence was created on the site of the former orchards and pasture, which was connected to the main fortress by a covered path crossing a ravine that stretched between the slopes of the mountain. The Generalife had all the requisite amenities of a fully self-contained private palace, including a bathhouse and prayer room.
Today’s Generalife is a mixture of original elements from the Nasrid period, combined with elements inspired by modern times, resulting from the success of the Christian Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula. The entire complex consists of a palace building and several courtyards – covered with lush vegetation and surrounded by water channels. Its main core is the Patio de la Acequia, or ‘Courtyard of the Water Canal’, covering more than 600m2 (12.8 metres x 48.7 metres). It is the most impressive and characteristic part of the palace grounds. It is entered through a smaller courtyard, the Patio de Polo, on the south side, which in turn is accessed through another smaller one, the Patio del Apeadero.
The form and shape of the Patio de la Acequia are largely a result of the terrain and the surrounding aqueduct complex (Acequia Real – Royal Canals), which is more than 6 kilometres long and brings water to the Summer Palace and the Alhambra itself. The courtyard is also surrounded by fountains and pavilions. The whole thing is very impressive!
Gardens of paradise
The Generalife gardens occupy three large terraces on the hillside. Their appearance today is largely due to two artists, Leopoldo Torres Balbás and Francisco Prieto Moreno, who redesigned many of them between 1931 and 1951, including incorporating a motif taken from Italian culture into their arrangement.
The two lower terraces on the south-west side are occupied by market gardens and orchards, known today as Las Huertas. The uppermost terrace is occupied by the Jardines Nuevos (‘New Gardens’), a green space that was created in the 20th century and is now an approach to the historic part of the palace. Within it, we can admire trimmed cypresses and a large cross-shaped pool – inspired by Moorish gardens – as well as other ornamental plants. An additional feature is the open-air theatre, which was built in 1952.
In 1958, a major fire destroyed or damaged much of the northern Generalife. However, the damage caused by the fire and the subsequent repairs also allowed considerable excavation work to take place, documenting the original form of the gardens. As a result, today we can admire the site, exuding an aura and filled with the history of the more than 700-year-old mansion and its gardens, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Holidays in Andalusia
There is something for everyone on holiday in Andalusia and on the Costa del Sol – from the opportunity to visit the historic buildings scattered throughout the region, to the perfectly prepared golf courses around Marbella, to the tens of kilometres of sandy beaches with excellent restaurants and beach clubs. The aura of this place makes it easy to fall in love with it without memory. This in turn translates into a desire to buy property in Spain and live here permanently. You must see for yourself!
