Capilla Real de Granada (Royal Chapel), Granada (must see)

The Royal Chapel of Granada was created as the burial place of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose conquest of Granada in 1492 brought the last Muslim kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula under Christian rule. When Isabella made Granada her new home, she was determined to leave her mark on the city. Among her priorities was a grand funerary chapel attached to the new cathedral. Construction was completed in 1517 in the Isabelline style, a transitional form combining late Gothic and early Renaissance elements.

Approach the chapel along Oficios Street, pausing in the courtyard to examine the coats of arms and delicate Plateresque carvings surrounding the main portal.

The chapel is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. Its interior is reminiscent of the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo, with four side chapels arranged around the transept and an ornate Gothic vault. At the center of the transept stand the monumental, raised marble tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella. Nearby are the tombs of their daughter, Joanna I of Castile, and her husband, Philip I. To see them, step inside the nave and proceed toward the center of the transept to view the intricate Carrara marble mausoleums.

The magnificent marble monuments in the transept serve as elaborate artistic memorials, while the actual royal remains rest directly below them in a simpler, more austere crypt. Visitors can look into this crypt to view the five modest lead coffins where the monarchs and the young Prince Miguel are laid to rest.

Next, turn back toward the nave to inspect the massive gilded wrought-iron screen forged by Master Bartolomé, before browsing the adjoining sacristy museum, which displays Queen Isabella's personal art collection and royal crown.

The chapel offers a powerful reminder of Granada’s transformation in 1492. The monarchs buried here accepted the surrender of Muhammad XII, the last Nasrid ruler, and supported Christopher Columbus on the voyage that same year, which opened Spain’s way to the Americas.