Granada Cathedral

Construction of the principal church of the archdiocese began in the first half of the sixteenth century, but its west side waited almost a century and a half longer for a finished appearance. It is now formed by three deep arches, with the middle one higher than the side ones, while flat sections with round windows remain at the edges. Above, stone pinnacles and a cross appeared instead of six monumental statues. Inside, high above the altar, seven paintings about the life of the Virgin Mary remain.

The three enormous arches of the main façade were conceived by a man whom the clergy of this very cathedral had earlier stripped of his post. His name was Alonso Cano. He was a court painter, sculptor, and architect, and he returned to Granada for a position at Granada Cathedral. A cathedral is the principal church of an archdiocese: it contains the archbishop’s seat, solemn services are held there, and its construction and income were managed by the chapter, a body of cathedral clergy. In sixteen fifty-two, King Philip IV secured for Cano the post of racionero, a junior member of the chapter. This was a junior chapter member who received an income from the cathedral’s revenues. In practice, the prebend made Cano the permanent artist of Granada Cathedral. The appointment came with a condition: within a year, he had to take holy orders.

Cano began work in the main chapel. Lamps and a lectern for enormous liturgical books were made from his designs; then he took on seven paintings about the life of the Virgin Mary. But he did not meet the chapter’s condition. Ordination required Latin, and Cano failed the examination. The artist himself maintained that the examiners were biased against him. The chapter waited several years, then in October sixteen fifty-six took Cano’s prebend away. He lost his cathedral income and left for court to seek reinstatement.

Philip IV sent decrees to Granada twice ordering Cano’s return. The artist was examined again, this time before the papal nuncio, the representative of the Roman pontiff. In Salamanca, Cano took holy orders and returned to Granada Cathedral in sixteen sixty. His post was restored, and he completed the remaining paintings for the main chapel. They are still inside, high above the altar.

Meanwhile, the west side of Granada Cathedral remained unfinished. Construction of the church had begun in the first half of the sixteenth century, but nearly a century and a half later it still had no finished main façade. When Cano brought his design to the chapter, the clergy resolved that its author must oversee the work himself. On May fourth, sixteen sixty-seven, the man they had once excluded from their ranks was appointed master builder of Granada Cathedral.

Cano gave the three central naves three deep arches, making the central one higher than the side ones. He closed off the outer naves with flat sections containing round windows. Above the façade, the artist planned to place six monumental statues.

Cano directed the construction for one hundred twenty-three days. He died on September third, without ever seeing the façade built. The next day, the chapter ordered a solemn funeral service to be held for him and for him to be buried in the cathedral crypt among the very prebendaries he had sought the right to join.

The façade was built by Cano’s successors. They kept the three arches but abandoned his six planned statues: stone pinnacles and a cross appeared above. Before Granada Cathedral, his design remains in stone; inside are seven paintings, and beneath the floor lies the grave of their author.