Palace of Charles V

Located in the heart of Granada, Spain, the Palace of Charles V, also known as Palacio Carlos V.

It is a magnificent example of 16th-century architecture that is part of the historic Alhambra Palace.

It was constructed on Charles V’s decision during a vis to the stie in 1526. He was on his honeymooon following his marriage to Isabel of Portugal in Seville.

The beauty of the Alhambra spellbound the emperor.

Therefore, he commissioned Pedro Machuca, a renowned Renaissance artist, to design a palace that would symbolize power and cultural fusion.

The palace’s design features a unique circular courtyard within a square, highlighting Machuca’s ambitious architectural vision.

Today, the Palace of Charles V remains an iconic testament to the blend of Renaissance and Moorish influences.

It reflects the complex historical and cultural context of its times, even though it was never fully completed.

What to See Inside Granada Palace of Charles V

The Palace of Charles V in the Alhambra complex in Granada, Spain, is a Renaissance building.

It houses the Alhambra Museum on its ground floor and the Fine Arts Museum of Granada on its upper floor.

The building has a unique circular patio and is one of Spain’s most important Renaissance-style buildings.

The Museum on the ground floor displays a collection of artifacts.

On the upper floor, the Museum of Fine Arts showcases paintings and sculptures from Granada dating from the 16th to 20th centuries.

The Museum of Alhambra

Initially built in 1942 as an Archaeological Museum, it was renamed the National Museum of Spanish-Moorish Art in 1962 by the administered Ministry of Culture.

In 1994, it got its current name and falls under the authority of The Council of the Alhambra.

The Museum has the best collection of Nasrid Art in the world, with specimens from artifacts found in archaeological excavations and restored in the Alhambra.

The Vase of the Gazelles, part of the domestic ceramic collection, and the marble decorative element the museum highlights.

Since 1995, the museum’s exhibition rooms have been on the ground floor of the Palace of Charles V.

That year, the refurbishment project was awarded the National Prize for Refurbishment and Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

The permanent collection comprises 312 pieces.

The Museum of the Alhambra consists of seven rooms dedicated to Spanish-Moorish Art, culture and history from the ninth to the sixteenth centuries.

Room I: Science, faith and Economics

This room showcases Faith, Science and Economics. 

It features ancient and valuable Qurans, a solar notebook, and a variety of coins from Spanish-Moorish times.

Room 2: The Emirate and Caliphate Period

The second room highlights the time of the Andalusian Emirate and Caliphate.

It displays elegant architectural capitals and various daily-use items like lamps, heaters, plates, pots, and bottles.

Room 3: Caliphate Architectural Decoration

This room houses significant architectural pieces from the 10th-century Caliphate to the Nasrid era.

It includes the famed Lion Fountain and parts of a mosque’s minaret, now where Saint Ann’s church stands, alongside ceramics and an ivory hairpin.

Room 4: From Taifa to Nasrid Art

The fourth room features architectural pieces from buildings beyond the Alhambra, including lions from the Maristán in Albaycin.

Room 5: The Nasrid Period:

The Alhambra and Other Palaces In this room, you’ll find some of the most representative pieces of the Alhambra: columns, doors, fountains, mosaics and lattices.

The centerpiece is the exquisite Vase of the Gazelles, alongside geometrically and epigraphically decorated pottery and a door from the Palace of the Infants.

Room 6: The Nasrid Period:

The Rauda and Ceramics Many pieces here belong to the Alhambra palaces, including architectural details, furniture, royal cemetery gravestones, the mosque’s lamp and more.

Room 7: The Nasrid Period:

Decoration and the Trousseau: The last room consists of luxurious Nasrid items such as fine textiles, the golden “Fortuny Vase,” intricately inlaid objects, a lavish chess set, and a collection of Nasrid toys.

What are the Opening Hours for the Musuem of Alhambra?

From 15 October to 31 March, Alhambra Museum operates from 8:30 am to 6 pm from Wednesday to Saturday, and on Monday, it remains closed.

From 1 April to 14 October, the Museum remains open from 8:30 am to 8 pm.

It operates from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm on Sundays and Tuesdays but remains closed on Mondays.

Additionally, from May to September, the Museum extends its hours on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm.

The Musuem of Alhambra remains closed on:

• Mondays
• Christmas (25 December) [Please note the correction from January to December for Christmas]
• New Year’s Day (1 January)

This table will simplify the Museum timings for you:

Months	Timings	Days
1 April to 14 October	8:30 am to 8 pm8:30 am to 2:30 pm	Wednesday to SaturdaySunday and Tuesday
15 October to 31 March	8:30 am to 6 pm8:30 am to 2:30 pm	Wednesday to SaturdayTuesday and Sunday,
May to September	8:30 am to 9:30 pm	Saturday

The Museum of Fine Arts

Granada’s most significant art Museum displays over 2,000 artworks, including paintings and sculptures by famous artists like Alonso Cano, Pedro Machuca, Jose de Mora, and Juan Ramirez.

Built in 1839, Spain’s earliest public Museum is located on the palace’s second floor.

The Museum showcases various artworks from the 16th to the 18th centuries, such as oil paintings, colorful wooden pieces, altarpieces, triptychs, sculptures, and choir seats.

The specialty of his Museum is the diversity of art techniques it features, which is particularly notable because most of the artworks are centered around religious themes.

Many were collected from convents and monasteries after the government took them over in 1836.

The Museum first opened in an old convent and moved around a bit before settling in the Palace of Charles V in 1958.

The Fine Art Museum of Alhambra consists of eight rooms for its permanent collections and one room for its temporary exhibitions.

The artwork here is displayed chronologically, starting with Room One, honoring the end of the XV century and Room Nine, focusing on contemporary art.

What Time Does the Musuem of Fine Arts Open?

The Museum of Fine Arts has varying schedules throughout the year.

From 16 March to 15 June and again from 16 September to 15 October, it’s open from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am to 7:30 pm.

On Sundays and holidays, from 9 am to 2:30 pm, Mondays are closed except for holidays.

From 16 October to 15 March, the Museum shifts its hours slightly, opening from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm.

And Sundays and holidays from 9 am to 3:30 pm, with Mondays still closed unless it’s a holiday.

During the summer months, from 16 June to 15 September, the Museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 3:30 pm, again closing on Mondays except for holidays.

The Museum remains closed on December 24th, 25th, and 31st, January 1st and 6th, and May 1st.

Museum Angel Barrios

It is an intimate small Museum dedicated to the music and life of Angel Barrios.

He was a famous composer, guitarist and violinist (1882-1964) from Granada.

The exhibition shows off his personal items, furniture, and paintings, giving visitors a glimpse into his world.

Timings of Angel Barrios Museum

The Museum operates throughout the week from March to October.

From 15 March to 14 October, it operates from 8:30 am to 6 pm.

From 15 October to 14 March, it remains open from 8:30 am to 8 pm.

Palace of Charles V Tickets

The general admission ticket to Alhambra includes access to the Palace of Charles V Granada.

The admission ticket also gives access to other notable parts of the Alhambra complex: Alcazaba, Generalife, Partal, and Alhambra Museum.

This ticket does not include admission to Nasrid Palace.

If you are on a budget trip, this is the best ticket to save money and leaves you with more to spend on other things.

Ticket Price

• Adult ticket (12 + years): €16
• Child ticket (3 to 11 years): Free Entry
• EU citizens with youth card: €9

Palace of Charles V With Nasrid Palace

This skip-the-line ticket to Alhambra Palace bypasses the long lines and gives you direct access to the complex.

The three-hour guided tour will take you to the Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba, Space of the Month, the Mosque Baths, Palace of Charles V, Generalife Gardens and temporary exhibitions.

Ticket Prices

• Adult ticket (16 + years): €25
• Youth ticket (12 to 15 years): €17
• Child ticket (3 to 11 years): Free Entry
• Infant ticket ( Up to 2 years): Free Entry

Opening Hours of the Palace of Charles V

The Palace of Charles V follows the same operating hours as the general Alhambra timings. 

It is open throughout the year, from 8:30 am except on Christmas (25 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January).

From 1 April to 14 October, it follows the schedule from 8:30 am to 8 pm. 

The last admission is accepted one hour before the Alhambra closing time.

History of Palace of Charles V

In 1526, Emperor Charles V, who already owned America, decided to spend his summer at the Alhambra’s royal houses in Granada.

This visit sparked his desire to make Granada a regular residence.

He wanted a new palace that was more comfortable and spacious than the existing Arabic one but still connected to it. 

His goal was to continue the work of his grandparents, the Catholic Monarchs, and make this palace a central hub for his empire.

The resulting palace became one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture outside Italy and was the first major royal residence for Spanish monarchs.

Don Luis Hurtado de Mendoza taxed the Moors to fund the construction, allowing them to keep some of their customs in return.

Later, funding was also sourced from the Alcázar of Seville and sugar from Granada.

In 1527, Pedro Machuca, a talented artist who had studied under Michelangelo in Italy, was chosen to design the palace.

After Machuca died in 1550, several other notable architects, including Juan de Orea and Juan de Minjares, contributed to the project.

The palace is square, with a unique circular courtyard inside, making the layout unusual and complex. 

It’s connected to the Alhambra, so only two facades are decorated.

The building features two levels: the lower one is in the Tuscan order with robust pilasters, and the upper one is more ornate with Ionic pilasters.

The main facades have beautiful marble entrances from Sierra Elvira, showcasing the splendor of the Spanish Renaissance.

The south facade features a mix of decorative elements and sculptures, including lions and trophies from various cultures.

The western facade, considered the main entrance, is in the Doric order and includes detailed bas-reliefs and symbolic figures.

What is the architectural style of the Palace of Charles V?

The Palace of Charles V stands as a testament to the Classical Renaissance style, emphasizing geometric perfection through the use of squares and circles.

Inspired by the luxury of imperial Rome, Emperor Charles V aimed for the palace’s design to reflect this grandeur.

The massive square measuring 63 meters on each side encircles a circular courtyard 30 meters in diameter.

It showcases an innovative blend of humanistic ideals and architectural brilliance.

Among its four facades, only the southern and western ones are fully decorated, while the eastern and northern facades, connecting directly to the Nasrid Palace, show a respectful integration of Renaissance and Islamic architecture.

The palace’s heavy, rusticated stones on the lower half and the predominance of straight lines give it a solid appearance, with notable architectural features designed to impress visitors.

Encircled by 32 Doric columns, the courtyard’s gallery is topped with an ingeniously designed ring vault, highlighting the era’s architectural prowess.

The palace is conceptually divided by architects Machuca into two sectors—one for the emperor and one for the empress—and showcases different architectural orders to distinguish these areas.

Today, the Palace of Charles V contains the Museum of Fine Arts and the Alhambra Museum, with a temporary exhibition space in the chapel area, continuing its legacy as a cultural and artistic hub.

How Long Does it Take to Tour the Palace of Charles V?

If you’re simply touring the complex without visiting the Museums located within the palace, you can expect to spend about 30 minutes taking in the sights. 

However, if you also plan to explore the Museums, allow around 45 minutes for a more in-depth visit.

Moreover, if you wish to delve deeply into the entire monumental complex, taking your time to see all the details and walk around the fortress and gardens, plan to spend three to four hours for a full visit.

Frequently Asked Questions