Monuments to visit Andalusia

Built between the xie and the xivth century by the Maures, it served both as a military fortress and as a royal residence. A testimony of medieval times and of the Taifa malagueña, it consists of several concentric walls punctuated by towers. The site is splendid, especially since the Alcazaba was renovated at the beginning of the century. With bougainvillea and cypress scattered on both sides. An Archeological Museum displays the remains found in the Alcazaba (potteries, Roman statues…) and is housed in the palace; At his feet, we can observe the presence of the Roman theater dating back to the era of the Emperor Augustus.

By climbing the gardens of Puerta Oscura, the steep paths along the lighthouse of the Lighthouse provide a splendid view of Málaga and its bay to the interior of the bullring (also access by bus No. 35). The origins of the castle are discussed: The building could partly date from the Punic era, with the Phoenicians already using the mount as a watchtower. Remanié in the th century under the reign of Yusuf I, the building was united at the Alcazaba by fortifications.

On the bank of the Guadalquivir, on the edge of the. Built in the th century under the reign of Alphonse XI, he housed the court of the Catholic Kings for a few years and became the headquarters of the Inquisition. In a few rooms open to the public, you can see a remarkable th century sarcophagus and Roman mosaics, and discover Arab baths. The ensemble also exhibits some temporary art exhibitions. Beautiful view of the city from the walls.

Finalized in 1793, this pont neuf is a vertiginous technical prowess leading to the old town, dominates the Tajo gorge of more than 100 m deep... Surprisingly, the central part of this symbol of the city, was used as a prison in other times. Le Guadalevín, the small river that winds down is, unfortunately, a small trickle...

The visit of the Nasrid palaces, located in the Alhambra, begins with the Mexuar (pronounced «méchouar»). All judicial problems were discussed there. This is the most altered part of the arrival of Christians. The Mexuar room, converted into a chapel in 1629, has a mix of styles. The. and the Albaicín have a beautiful view of the. and the Albaicín. By crossing the patio of the Mexuar, you can see on the left, the Cuarto Dorado (or golden room) and, on the right, one of the nicest façades of the palace of Comares. This palace surrounds the patio of Los (or Cour), one of the jewels of the Alhambra. On the right, at the entrance, stands the palace of Charles Quint and, on the left, the tower of Comares, the tallest of the Alhambra (45 m). Before entering the tower, you pass through the Salle room (from Arabic baraka, "luck"). The ceiling, destroyed by a fire in 1890, was restored faithfully with cedar wood. It was the lobby of the Ambassadors'Lobby, where foreign emissaries were received. The walls, measuring nearly 20 m high, are covered with decorations and inscriptions. Then on the patio of los Leónes (Cour des Lions), which was the centre of the area reserved for family life. Exactly 124 columns, open like palm trees, decorate the patio. It would represent Paradise, bathed by four rivers. The twelve lions symboliseraient the signs of the Zodiac. On the right, you can find the sala de los Abencerrajes (Salle room).
According to legend, members of a noble family were beheaded one by one. Their blood would have given the water from the central fountain its reddish colour… On the bottom, you can observe beautiful paintings on leather in the sala de los Reyes (room of Kings). They were made in the th century by Christians in Seville. In front of the Abencérages hall, the Sala de las Dos Hermanas (the Two Sisters room) owes its name to the two marble tiles surrounding the fountain. She was probably inhabited by sultana, official wives and their children.
To go to the Generalife, you can cross the Jardins gardens. They were occupied by the houses of the soldiers and servants of the palace. Following the towers of the wall, you will notice the torre de la Cautiva (Tour tower), which was locked by Isabelle de Solis, a Christian whose father Muley Hacen fell in love with. The torre del Agua (water tower) passed the aqueduct that supplied the gardens. It was by the The Torre Suelos (tower of the Seven Soils) that Boabdil came out for the last time of the Alhambra. According to his will, the door has been condemned and since then nobody has crossed it.

After more than two years of restoration and a few million euros, the Roman bridge, originally dating from the 1st century B.C., with its sixteen arches embellished during the Caliphate period, was restored to its former glory in 2008. Became pedestrian in 2004, it allows you to walk quietly on its deck admiring the views of the city, the Guadalquivir, a sculpture of Saint Raphael, dated 1651 and standing halfway across the bridge, the other bank and the countryside in the distance. Also, why don't you go visit the San Antonio mill...

This is the purely military part of the Alhambra. It dates from the th century. There is the place of weapons. The houses and barracks of the soldiers were there. You can see only the traces of the pieces, delimited by small walls. On the left you will see the Jardin garden with its cypress trees, flowers and many fountains. the painter Fortuny came to spend his afternoon. The tower of the Vela or the Campana (the Catholic Kings made it a bell to tell the peasants the time of watering the fields) offers a splendid view of the city, but also on the peaks of the Sierra Nevada.

It contrasts with the rest of buildings by its massive aspect. This 60 m block block houses one of the finest Renaissance patios in Spain, the work of the Tolédan Pedro Machuca, disciple of Michelangelo. Very sober, with its double colonnade (doric downstairs, ionic at the top), this round patio has a diameter of 30 m. The Charles V palace houses the museum of the Alhambra and the Museum of Fine Arts. 

This special house with patio and collections of azulejos offered to the Salésiens (modernist palace of siglo XX) by its owners, has a small garden from which one has a very nice view on the Ronda site.