Generalife

The gardens within and around the palace are simply amazing. The concept of the central courtyard with a pool to reflect the home, a fountain and plantings either side is the basic plan. The "summer place" north east of the main palace was originally an area of retreat but also an area where much of the agricultural activities of the palace would take place. The mediterranean climate means a lot of beautiful produce and plants can grow here. When we visited the rose gardens were in full bloom and between the water, fountains and flowers it was beautiful, fragrant and relaxing. The wall of jasmine was especially striking.

This charming villa overlooking the Alhambra is often said to have been the summer palace of the Sultans, but in fact it was a hunting lodge and country retreat, where the rulers, accompanied by their wives, could escape the turmoil of the palace. The Moors, like today's Andalucians, did not combat the heat by seeking the open air, but rather by withdrawing into shady, secluded patios and rooms.

The Spanish aristocrats who became its owners after the Reconquest radically altered the appearance of the little palace . One has only to compare the Generalife's courtyard to the other patios of the Alhambra to realize what a departure it is from the Moorish ideal of a perfect garden, which was totally enclosed, with, at either end of the central pond, a single fountain dish creating a burble which was just audible enough to break the silence.

In spite of the changes made by the Christians, the Generalife is the most charming corner of the Alhambra, thanks to its gardens and fast-flowing water. In fact, the name of the main courtyard is the Patio de la Acequia - Courtyard of the Water Channel - in reference to the water which coursed through the villa before supplying the Alhambra below.

The Christians opened the pointed windows in the wall, several of which are painted with the motto of the Catholic Monarchs, TATO MOTA, which, according to popular wisdom, is an abbreviation for "Tanto Monta el Rey como la Reina", loosely translatable as "The King sits as firmly in the saddle as the Queen". Isabella, as Monarch of Castile, was politically stronger than her husband Ferdinand, King of Aragon, and the motto reminded her that the coalition - consecrated by their marriage - gave equal rights to both.

The escalera del agua, or "water staircase" is genuinely Moorish. The ideal of the "desert people" was to have water flowing everywhere, even, it seems, along the bannisters of their staircases!Read more