Palacio de la Madraza
Manor · Granada
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The Palacio de la Madraza started as the Yusufiyya Madraza, founded in 1349 by Sultan Yusuf I as the first public university in Al-Andalus, teaching theology, law, medicine and mathematics. After the Christian conquest it served as Granada's town hall, and in 1499 its library was burned in nearby Bib-Rambla Square. The building reopened to visitors in 2011.
Yusuf I commissioned the school through his chief minister, Ridwan ibn Abd Allah, and construction ran from 1340 to 1349, teaching mathematics, astronomy, philosophy and natural sciences alongside theology and law. Ferdinand and Isabella handed the building to Granada's town council as its Casa del Cabildo in 1500, and the council kept its seat here until 1851, when the city hall moved to Plaza del Carmen. Between 1720 and 1729 the council rebuilt the exterior completely, replacing the Nasrid front with the Baroque façade of Sierra Elvira stone, heraldic carving and a domed staircase that now faces Calle Oficios. The palace once stood beside the Alcaicería, the elite silk and gold market, and close to the site of the main mosque that later became Granada Cathedral. The University of Granada now runs the palace as its Centre for Contemporary Culture, hosting exhibitions in the rooms around the Baroque courtyard.
What you see
A Baroque façade of pale Sierra Elvira stone, carved with heraldic shields and topped with a curved pediment, faces the narrow Calle Oficios.
Practical
The oratory is free to view but only through an open doorway, not entered, for conservation; open weekdays 09:00-18:00 and weekends 11:00-14:00. The rest of the palace costs 2 euros, open daily 10:00-19:30 in winter and 10:00-20:00 in summer.
islamic architectureuniversitybaroque facadegranada old town
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