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THE HISTORY
OF THE
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The abbey overlooks the Sacromonte Valley. It stands on the summit of Mount Valparaiso at the top of a path which zig-zags down the hill with seven bends. |
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It was here
in 15th March 1594 that two men came looking for treasure and supposedly
came across a cave where they found some lead plates. Written in Arabic,
these told the story of the martyrdom of St. Tesiphon. The Archbishop
ordered further excavations, and some remains, more plaques describing
the martyrdom of St. Cecilio, St. Tesiphon and St. Hiscius, and also
an oven and some ashes were found. |
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On June 6th 1598, a house was built to guard the relics, and in 1600 work began on the collegiate church. A foundation was established for the abbey with an abbot and 20 canons. The symbol of this foundation was the star of Solomon which can be seen throughout the abbey. |
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Construction
stopped in 1610 when the archbishop transferred to Seville, although
only the courtyard, the southern nave, and the church which exists
today had been built. The original plans for the entire construction
(which were never carried out) can be seen in the Library. At the beginning
of the 20th century, further extensions were made and another storey
was added for the school and university. The building therefore consists
of three parts: the Abbey, the Seminary, and the New College. |
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The museum includes many works of art and paintings including the “Dead Christ supported by an Angel" by Alonso Cano (see right), and also a collection of vestments, tapestries. Also on display are the lead plates*. The ashes of the martyred saints are kept below their statues in the church. It is also possible to visit the catacombs below the church. Linked by low, narrow passages, there are a number of small chapels where you can see various paintings and statues. In one of these chapels, there is the cross carried by St. John of God when he was asking for alms, and in another a large stone, which folklore says, if a woman kisses, she will find a husband within the year. Finally, behind an iron grille, there is the oven where the martyrs are said to have been burned. |
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*Twenty-five
lead plates were found in total. They alleged that the Christian martyr
St. Cecilio, who was executed during the reign of Nero in the 3rd century,
was in fact of Arab rather than Spanish descent, and that after his
conversion to Christianity, he had been executed with other Spanish
Christians by the Romans. |
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were raised about the authenticity of these “books” and
they were condemned by the Pope in 1682. However, the dispute continued
in the 18th century as a result of the discoveries made in the Alcazaba
of Granada. They were sent to Madrid and then Rome to be studied, and
it was decided that they were not genuine and that they should be destroyed.
It was not in the Church’s interests to say that the relics
of the martyrs were not genuine, however, as at a time when faith
in the
Catholic doctrine was declining: by displaying them glass cases,
large donations could be guaranteed. |
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Fortunately
the plates were not destroyed, and in June 2000, they were eventually
returned to Granada. |
St.
Cecilio, the Patron Saint of Granada, is celebrated on 1st February
and on the
nearest Sunday, the people of Granada walk up to up to the abbey. A
religious mass is held, followed by music and dancing. People take
their own food
and the traditional broad beans and "saladillas" (small salt
bread rolls) are distributed. |
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click here to see page about visiting the Sacromonte Abbey click here to see a page about the Sacromonte area |
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