A Pantheon for Charles V
Cathedral of the Incarnation
The Grand Inquisitor Cisneros, who had forced the conversion of the Spanish Moors to Christianity, had been actively supporting the idea of the construction of a cathedral since 1505. The project was eventually launched in 1523 by the architect Enrique Egas. It was of Gothic inspiration, styled after the cathedrals of Toledo and Seville, which had also been built on sites previously occupied by mosques. Yet, at the time, priority was given to the construction of the Royal Chapel for the Catholic Monarchs and this project was delayed so much that when Charles V visited the city in 1526 little progress had been made. The emperor arrived in Granada to celebrate his honeymoon with Isabel of Portugal and visit his grandparents´ Royal Chapel. Charles V found the chapel inappropriate for kings but decided to respect the resting place of his relatives and instead of having the chapel reconstructed, he had the Cathedral styled like a pantheon dedicated to the Habsburgs!
As seen on
Granada City Tour: Moorish Splendour