Palace Of The Convent Of San Francisco
History
The palace is one of the earliest known Nasrid palaces built in the Alhambra, probably first built during the reign of Muhammad II (r. 1273–1302) in the late 13th century. The preserved decoration of the palace dates from around 1370, during the reign of Muhammad V, suggesting that it may have been remodeled at that time.
After the 1492 conquest of Granada by Christian Spain, the Catholic Monarchs (Isabella and Ferdinand) converted the property into a Franciscan convent in 1494, known as San Francisco de la Alhambra ("Saint Francis of the Alhambra"). Most of the palace was demolished and replaced with a new church and convent, finished in 1495.
When Queen Isabella died in November 1504, per her last wishes, she was buried in the convent, inside a 14th-century chamber which was preserved from the former palace. In 1512, funds were granted to embellish the convent and enlarge its church. When Ferdinand died in January 1516, he was also buried here, while the construction of the new Royal Chapel, a funerary chapel attached to the city's new cathedral, was ongoing. The bodies of the two monarchs were finally moved to the finished Royal Chapel on 10 November 1521.
Two years later, Charles V granted the family of the Counts of Tendilla, descendants of Iñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones and appointed governors of the Alhambra, the right to be buried in the convent. The convent thus hosted the family's tombs after this. There are indications that during the 16th century materials from the former Nasrid palace here were taken and reused for the construction projects that were ongoing at the time in what is now the Patio de la Reja and the Patio de Lindaraja (the courtyards north of the Palace of the Lions).
By the early 17th century, the convent was already in need of repairs, as attested by official letters requesting funds for this purpose. By 1703, the convent was again in need of repairs and in 1708 the church was in danger of collapse due to a string of winter storms, which incited authorities to free up funds to address the problems. In 1730, on the occasion of the visit of Philip V and his wife Elisabeth Farnese to Granada, more significant works to the convent were initiated, followed by further repairs between 1737 and 1738 costing 8000 reales and by another round of significant construction in 1759. Among other things, these works repaired the cloister and the church and added two chapels to the church's west side. The present-day bell tower was built in 1787, as attested by an inscription found on one of its walls. As a result of these various works, much of the building's present-day appearance dates to the 18th century.
During the French occupation of Granada in the early 19th century, the convent was used as a barracks by French troops. They caused significant damage, stripped the palace of its wooden furnishings to use them as fuel for fire, and exacerbated the Alhambra's overall state of neglect. In 1832, one thousand ducats were granted from the royal treasury to repair some of the damage to the convent. In 1840, the property was put up for auction, at which point it was purchased by the Spanish state.
By the early 20th century, the building was in a serious state of dilapidation. Restorations were undertaken between 1927 and 1929 under the direction of Leopoldo Torres Balbás, the architectural curator of the Alhambra at the time, at which time archeological excavations and studies also began to uncover some of the original Nasrid palace. Further excavations were undertaken under Torres Balbás's successor, Francisco Prieto Moreno. In the mid-20th century, these excavations uncovered the original hammam (bathhouse) of the palace. The remains of the baths were subsequently neglected again until the early 21st century, when they underwent further study and some conservation efforts. In 1945, the restored convent was converted into a state-run Parador hotel, a function it continues to serve today.
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