Sacromonte Monastery

Granada, Spain

The Abbey of El Sacromonte was founded in the 17th century. Under the church there are the catacombs where St. Cecilio, the first bishop and actual Patron of Granada, suffered martyrdom. The monument was designed by Juan de Maeda and finished in 1567. The front façade, by Pedro de Orea, is a magnificent example of the Renaissance period in Andalusia at the end of the 16th century.

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Sacromonte, Granada, Spain
See all sites in Granada

Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Religious sites in Spain

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sacromonteabbey.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

SolorToursBarcelona (6 months ago)
Forget the cathedral, this place is pretty unique in Granada and in Spain. Sacromonte means holy mountain. The abbey was built above some holy caves in which the relics of the patron saint of the city were found together with the so called “lead book”, a sort of mysterious ancient gospel written in archaic Arabic that gives a new much closer relationship between Islam and Christianity. There are David”s stars everywhere in the complex, something that I have never seen before in any Christian building that I have visited. Also some of the paintings in the little church are outstanding. To finish with there is the famous sculpture of the Jesus of the gypsy which is taken out in an emotional procession by the local gypsy community in the Holy Week. Plenty of material here for a great historical novel!
Wilma Louise Spitz (8 months ago)
Hugely interesting place with a very extensive display. The bronze sculptures are stark and skilful and stand in their own courtyard. The outlook is stunning overlooking the hills and the Alhambra.
Eric Berberich (9 months ago)
A unique gem to visit in Granada. Easy to reach with the C34 bus from the center (and walking back via the mirador del San Miguel). The abbey is very beautiful. In particular the cloisters and the church. The best though is the chapels in the sacred caves. A must visit. Also for the views
River - Glad or Mad Australia (9 months ago)
The Sacromonte Abbey was not easy for us to reach on foot. We took the C34 bus, which fortunately ran rather frequently. We arrived at 13:18, and a lady was already at the door preparing to close it for the 14:00-15:00 break. Luckily, she let us in before closing. Unfortunately, the couple behind us walked straight to the viewing point and missed the entrance. We were advised by the lady to start at Point #15 and visit the holy caves first, listening to the audio at home (???), as we wouldn't have enough time. We found the advice a bit odd and pondered how we could understand what we were seeing without the audio guide. The abbey was quite interesting and modestly constructed, which perhaps reflected the monks' lifestyle. The holy caves were pretty interesting and special. However, we did not feel that there was a lot to see for €6. The view of the Alhambra in the distance was nice, but it would have been nicer if it had been less sunny - an external factor. I would have given a 4-star rating if the service at the ticket desk was more professional.
Ng JS (13 months ago)
It's not just the sunset facing viewpoint of the entire city and the Alhambra that makes this a necessary journey (via bus C34) out of the main sights. The abbey and holy caves are an interesting experience by themselves and quite educational about the history of Christianity that has been refuted by the Vatican. Spent about 2 hours here before taking an easy walk downhill towards Sacromonte and the main city area.
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Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.

The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).