Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, El Gran Capitán, was a Spanish nobleman, whose involvement in the surrender of Granada made him a subject of worship. He had learned effective guerrilla tactics from the Arabs and made wise use of them in the Italian Wars. He also successfully integrated firearms into the Spanish infantry becoming a pioneer of modern warfare. The relief decoration on the exterior apse of the monastery is dedicated to him and his wife Doña María, with their gigantic coats of arms stealing the show. His remains were buried here in 1552, but with the Napoleonic invasion, the monastery was mutilated. In fact, the tower we see today is a reconstruction of the 1980s. In terms of architectural style, the massive buttresses remind us of the spirit of medievalism, but the decoration is obviously inspired by the Renaissance.