Monasterio de La Cartuja

Monasterio de La Cartuja Review

This Carthusian monastery in northern Granada (2 km from the center of town and reached by the No. 8 bus) was begun in 1506 and moved to its present site in 1516, though construction continued for the next 300 years. The exterior is sober and monolithic, but inside are twisted, multicolor marble columns; a profusion of gold, silver, tortoiseshell, and ivory; intricate stucco; and the extravagant sacristy—it's easy to see why it has been called the Christian answer to the Alhambra. Among its wonders are the trompe l'oeil spikes, shadows and all, in the Sanchez Cotan cross over the Last Supper painting at the west end of the refectory. If you're lucky you may see small birds attempting to land on these faux perches.