El Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo (Granada)

Abstract

The urban space that once was the Santo Domingo Convent is now known as the Royal Quarters of Santo Domingo. It is situated in the neighborhood El Realejo, whose extension has been reduced over time since the moment it was founded in a land ceded to the Castilian Crown Order after the conquest of the city. Being Granada a crammed city, confi ned between the mountain and the valley, it makes it unique since it is the only space that has not been modifi ed, almost fossilized in the center of the city; hence, it has a great historical importance. In addition, a building of extraordinary heritage importance has been preserved inside, the qubba or residential tower of the early Nasrid era supported by the southern urban fence of the Nasrid madīna. This building, which is unknown for most of the inhabitants of the city and which has been recently opened to the public, has been object of research for a long time. The archaeological explorations of the site did not arrive until the 90s, however, there have been several ever since. The last ones, whose results will be set out, have been especially interesting since they have enabled a broad reading of this space which is not restricted to the qubba.

The excavations that took place during the years 2005 and 2006 – with a previous one in 2003 – have indeed enabled to shed light about the organization of the space (Main Orchard of Almanxarra – Huerta Grande de la Almanjarra), the building’s evolution from the Almohad period until the xixth Century and the complex and articulated nature of this palace linked to the real Nasrid family. Likewise, it has enabled to recover its structures, some of which have been integrated in the recently-created exhibition area, and some of which were buried expecting a future desirable valuing, along with a signifi cant range of different nature objects (ceramics, glass, metals, etc.) that are currently object of research.