Palacio Carlos V (Charles V Palace) – Circular Court at the Center
Palacio Carlos V (Charles V Palace) – Circular Court at the Center
The Palacio Carlos V is one of the large buildings you see as you enter the Alhambra site. It is a square-shaped building with a circular court in the middle. The image shows part of that circular court.
The facades on the southern and western sides are ornate and have beautifully designed entrances. The northern and eastern walls are mostly unadorned because part of them are connected to the buildings of the Nasrid era.
Built in the 1500s, this Renaissance building was intended to be a summer palace for Carlos V (Charles V), Holy Roman Emperor, who was an ardent admirer of the Alhambra and wanted to be part of it, although he never got to live in it. He entrusted the job of building the palace to Pedro Machuca, a renowned architect of his time, who also remodeled and renovated part of the Nasrid Palaces. He was a brilliant architect well ahead of his time, and some of the concepts and designs he used became popular later, including the circular court at the center of the building.
Although the construction of this palace began in 1527, it was not completed for many reasons, including financial and political, and fell into disrepair because of long neglect. Even the roof of the partially built structure came off, and the palace remained roofless for a long time. It underwent a renovation, which included adding a new roof, and was eventually completed in 1957. The building now houses the Museo de Bellas Artes, a museum of fine arts.
Related Images
– Palacio Carlos V (Charles V Palace) – South Facade
– Palacio Carlos V – Charles V Palace – West Facade
Related Pages
Alhambra
– Palacios Nazaríes – Nasrid Palaces – A Shining Example of Moorish Art and Architecture
– Los Jardines del Partal – The Gardens of the Partal
– Alcazaba – A Formidable Fortress of the Nasrids
– Medina, the Bustling City
– Alhambra – Christian-Era Monuments
– Alhambra – Outer Monuments
Generalife – Heavenly Gardens of the Nasrids
Copyright © 2019 – 2020 by Lawrence Rodrigues. All rights reserved.