THE ZIRI WALL
The Moors ruled until January 2, 1492, when Boabdil handed control of Granada to Los Reyes Católicos (“The Catholic Monarchs”), after the siege of the city.
Our buildings have provenance: You can sleep with a part of the ancient history of Granada, we have uncovered and restored part of the first Ziri Wall of Granada (circa 11th Century). It has been incorporated in our historical buildings (17th century Casa Roja and 19th century Casa Albero) and it is recognised as historical and archaeological heritage of national interest.
The Ziri Wall, according to well-known archaeologists, is the best integration of an important archaeological site made by a hotel or apartment in Granada.
THE ALBAYZÍN
Staying in is like being in a small town inside Granada city centre, with a unique, bohemian and creative ambience and quality of life, with a limited number of small and beautiful hotels.
It rises on a hill facing the Alhambra and many tourist high up through its network of streets and squares towards San Nicolas viewpoint, ten minutes walking distance from the apartments, to enjoy one of the best Alhambra and Generalife views with Sierra Nevada behind them.
FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA
His mother was his first teacher and instilled his love of music and poetry. He studied philosophy and literature and graduated in law from the University of Granada where he made friendship with Manuel de Falla.
In 1919 he settled in Madrid where he met Juan Ramon and Antonio Machado Jiménez addition to befriend with poets of his generation, artists as Buñuel or painters like Salvador Dalí.
When he published Book of poems in 1921, which was his first work with modernist and romantic influences, he drew attention but really highlighted by publishing Songs in 1927 where he represented the patriotic drama of Mariana Pineda.
Another of his most important works was Poema del Cante Jondo who wrote at the same time than Canciones in addition of The Gypsy Ballads published in 1928; few months before moving to New York.
During the three years he lived in New York he worked as an intern and created his experience in the work Poet in New York; his posthumous work.
In 1932 he returned to Spain and was appointed director of the university theater company called La Barraca, which represented works of writers of the Golden Age in the lands of Castile and so make known his personal view of life.
Within the range of plays that he wrote, the most notable might be Yerma (1934), Blood Wedding (1933) or The House of Bernarda Alba, which is considered his masterpiece.
As it is well known, because of its Republican trend and his homosexuality he was shot on 18th August 1836 in his beloved Granada, leaving a large cultural gap and with great sorrow to all intellectuals of his time that painfully mourned his death.
La Huerta de San Vicente was the family summer home, where now is located the Museum Federico Garcia Loca which opened to the public in 1995.
2013: KINGDOM OF GRANADA MILLENIUM
One of the first actions undertaken by Ziríes is to transfer the capital from the nearby Elvira core of what today is the city of Granada, a location without too much importance then, heir to the Roman and pre-Roman Iliberis.
The zirí city had an area of 75 hectares and some 4,400 houses spread over several neighborhoods located on the hill of Albaycín, known as Alcazaba Cadima (al-Qasba Qadima).
As a Kingdom, the Zirí was the immediate ancestor of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, although between the two occur almost 150 years (between 1090 and 1232), corresponding to the times of the Almoravids and Almohads.
In our apartments you will see part of the origins of the city, as part of a tower and the first wall of Granada Ziri´s period were discovered during the restoration work, and they were restored and are integrated into our apartments.
CALLE BESO (KISS STREET), THE REASON OF HIS NAME
Just in the façade behind of our apartments, right at the back of one the Executive with bathtub and Premium Suite, is the Calle Beso (Kiss Street) that we believe is one of the most romantic and tender street name.
And it says so...
In this little street in the XVIII Century, it was still called the Calle del Conde de Cabra by the aristocrat who after the conquest appropriated part of the Albaycín area in which we are.
One day when her mother went to wake her up, found the girl completely inert. Horrified, she screamed, "My God, she's dead!” calling the neighbors, who transformed the neighborhood into one crying.
At night they held the wake, in a climate of great tragedy. But the next day when they went to close the casket, the mother brought her lips to give her beloved a desperate last kiss and then the eyes of the "dead girl" opened slowly...
FLAMENCO: DANCE & SINGING
MANUEL DE FALLA
… Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, Joaquín Turina and Joanquín Rodrigo.
Manuel de Falla was born in Cadiz in November 1876 where he studied music as a child with his mother and other teachers in his hometown; as a young man he studied composition with the renowned musicologist and teacher Felipe Pedrell. From 1905 to 1907 he taught piano in Madrid, and between 1907 and 1914 studied and worked in Paris. In the period elapsed during the years 1914 and 1938 he lived and composed especially in Spain.
Under the influence of Pedrell, Falla developed a style that characterized virtually all his compositions. The impressionistic element of his work comes from French composers such as Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, whom he met in Paris.
Among his compositions Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1909-1915) for orchestra and piano is a masterpice, the opera La vida breve (1913) on text Fernández Shaw,the ballets El Amor Brujo (1915) and The Three-Cornered Hat ( 1919), Betic Fantasy for piano (1919), the scenic fantasy El retablo de Maese Pedro (1924), Concerto for harpsichord and 7 instruments (1923-1926) and music for guitar. He left unfinished the oratorio Atlantis on the poem by Jacint Verdaguer; it was finished by his disciple Ernesto Halffter.
In 1939 he settled in Argentina, where, on November 14, 1946, he died.
GASTRONOMY
... until the coexistence of Christians, Moors and Jews. Arab heritage makes spices along with the variety of fresh products that make it a tasty and simple kitchen differentiated by the weather conditions in the different regions of Granada.
Some of the most popular dishes, and without detracting from those not mentioned, are habas con jamón de Trevélez (beans with ham Trevélez), Tortilla Sacromonte (omelet) which was born in one of our neighborhoods (eggs, truffles, ham, sausage, potatoes and peas), the exquisite and refreshing remojón (orange, cod, onion, olives and hard-boiled egg), the sardines off the coast, avocados, custard apples and mangoes from the Costa Tropical. The piononos from Santa Fe (small pastries with different kinds of syrup crowned with toasted cream), choto al ajillo from Montefrío (baby goat kid with garlic and more that can taste in local places.
One of the traditional breakfasts, especially on weekends, is to have hot chocolate with churros (fried-dough pastry) in Plaza Bib-Rambla or in Plaza Mariana Pineda.
All recipes have been passed down from generation to generation evolving into a modern fusion cuisine incorporating the tapas (a wide variety of appetizers or snacks ) -which are served free with every drink- complement the current cuisine of Granada and taste much better accompanied by a very cold beer Alhambra "Reserve 1925".
CERAMICS FROM FAJALAUZA
The origins of this pottery dates back to the XVI Century as a continuation of Muslim pottery manufacture which originated with the conquest of the Moorish kingdom of Granada. So named due to the factory that built the Morales family next to the door Puerta de Fajalauza in the high Albayzín.
At first it was characterized by spontaneity, simplicity and thick brushstrokes, intense blue tones (one of the most expensive) and green, adorned with plant motifs. It took the forms of household dishes, fountains, decorative plates, tiles and even street signs and gravestones.
Later evolved into a more ornate decoration, cobalt blue was used and appeared new forms and new flowers designs, architectural motifs, the fruit of the Granada (pomegranate), shields and could not miss the birds (animal that stands out in the Spanish ceramics) and the Mudejar ceramics.
A decoration that makes this very special ceramic, painted by master craftsmen who moved away than usual and were guided by tradition and inspiration.
