“ An older woman was in a store looking at a mirror.
“ I used to be young and beautiful’, she lamented sadly.
A nearby customer overheard and said,
‘Well, now you are just beautiful’
The older woman smiled, hugged the customer,
and left happy”
- From a story on Reddit posted anonymously
It has always been about the stories. If you do not understand what happened here in these old buildings centuries ago, it makes little sense spending time with them. Real people with dreams, hurts, disappointments, and triumphs lived and died here. Stories connect us to each other. After all this time they still have much to teach.
We took a long walk around town yesterday. Here are just three of the tales.
This is the entrance to Corral del Carbon. This was a ‘Caravanserai” along the Silk Road trade route. Think of it as a Days Inn for weary merchant caravans. Here travelers could rest their animals, find shelter and food, and tell stories of the Muslim road.
You notice the typical Islamic door. It is key shaped with calligraphy around it. Granada in those times was ruled by the Moors. There used to be 14 of these ‘hotels’ in this city alone. This is the only one left. The rest were destroyed by the Christians in the purge of the Reconquista (More about that tomorrow). It was later used as a storehouse for coal, hence the name.
Rick Steves writes, “It’s a common mistake to think of the Muslim Moors as somehow not Spanish. They lived here for seven centuries and were just as “indigenous” as the Romans, Goths, and Celts. Wile the Moors were Muslim, they were no more connected to Arabia than France.”
In the courtyard overhead, you can see grapevines that in season would be beautiful.
——————————
This massive building is the Catedral de Granada or Granada Cathedral. It shouts “We won!” After the Reconquista, outside the walls of the city there was good empty ground to build a church.
According to early discovered writings the conquering Christians said, “F**k that! We are going to demolish the Mosque and build on the unsteady sandy soil instead!’
And so they did.
All the citizens of the city, mostly Muslim, would now be forced to worship here as Christians. It was evangelism at its best - under the threat of the sword.
The Cathedral took over 200 years to finish. As you approach the main altar you will notice all the glittering gold leaf. The gold was discovered in the nearby Darro River. This finding was what brought the Romans here long before.
It’s always about the money.
You will find the twin rulers Fredinand And isabella kneeling in the artwork. Their marriage served to unite the various nation states on the peninsula and created what is now modern Spain,
Despite the majestic beauty of the place, it is hard to to forget that it was built right over the ashes of a conquered people. In fact the defeat is celebrated here in the art of this house of worship.
This gorgeous relief honors James the Evangelist, dressed in Christian military attire on horseback with sword raised. Trampled beneath his horse is the body of a Muslim.
James was the brother of Jesus and one of the writers of the New Testament.
It made me think of the current debate in our country about teaching only the nicer parts of the history of America.
John Adams, a founding father, famously wrote, Facts are stubborn things”.
There is no doubt that the church has done many wonderful things to help mankind. There is also no doubt that the history of the church is often laced with episodes of savage violence all in the name of evangelism. Both things can be true at the same time. It is only by facing such things honestly can we heal and learn to do better.
The same is true for the history of our own country.
There is much to learn in these old buildings.
——————————
Please ask me “What’s in the box?”
Oh, Please ask..
(Sorry for the picture quality - they do not allow photos in here so some of the shots I pulled from Google)
Ok ready? This golden cabinet to the left of the main alter in the Royal Chapel contains….
Wait for it..
The arm of John the Baptist!
Why the prophet had his head cut off is well documented in the Bible, But, the rest of his body was dismembered too?
And how in the world did it make it from the region of Palestine all the way to Southern Spain? Was it kept in a ice chest like some gruesome tail gate party by Freddie Kruger?
Enquiring minds want to know.
This is the Royal Chapel and the final resting place for Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand. The monuments are above but the actual humble coffins are below.
If you look at the Sculptures Isabel’s head is heavier on the pillow. This is because the artist wished to show her brain was heavier.
Isabel and Ferdinand are credited as the founders of modern Spain. They are revered in art all over the country. Their history is far to long and complex to even attempt in this lowly blog.
One of their children was “Joanna the Mad”. Joanna was arranged to be married to “Phillip the Fair”. According to legend, Joanna was intensely jealous of Phillip’s beauty and was driven mad by it.
Phillip would die early and Joanna would claim to be in mourning for a prolonged time. She reported “I cannot possibly remarry”. Thus she dod not and retained power until the end of her days without having to share it with a man.
Perhaps she was crazy like a fox after all.
It was Isabel who accepted the proposal by an Italian adventurer named Christopher to sail West to find the route to China and India. We saw the box she placed gold and jewels within to offer as collateral to banks to finance the journeys.
Isabel would die at age 53 believing Columbus had in fact discovered a new way to the far east and the rich spice trades.
Columbus, who was promised great wealth if he was successful would die at age 54 penniless and disillusioned.
-------------------
I guess this is why I have always found people who say, "I don't like history" tiresome.
How can you not like a good story?
Comments