I went yesterday to the San Jose graveyard, on the hill above Granada. Fact is it became a graveyard for the local population only in the XIXth century. Of course, it has all the qualifications for a nice graveyard, and it's HUGE... So huge and complicated that it took me quite a while to discover the little garden which contains the remains of the Palacio de los Alixares.
I'll speak i another post about the cementery in itself, which has its fair shares of impressive sculptures and moving tombs and want to focus today on that forgotten Palace.
The Palacio de los Alixares is an almunia, which means a leisure residence of one of the Nasrid king who reigned over the last Muslim kingdom of the Iberian peninsula. It was built at the end of the XIVth century as a retreat for prayer and tranquility, at arm's length from the hustle of the Alhambra court.
Unfortunately, it was badly damaged during the XVth century by an earthquake and - due to the Reconquista which was in full swing and the internal dissensions in the Nasrid dynasty - it was never rebuilt, abandoned, and all its marbles, columns, stones plundered along the following centuries.
An irremediable loss. What we have today is basically a water cistern, and a few quotes from sources who saw and enjoyed the place all time ago. And the only graphical representation that we have of the palace in itself comes from a tapestry in Madrid, which is displayed in that information panel:
However, if you happen to visit Granada and have time to go up to the cementery, I really encourage you to find the Jardin de los Alixares. First of all, it's a lovely garden secluded and quiet and second, because it is the perfect place to reflect on the Latin quote: Sic transit gloria mundi.
