Submitted by Kaitlyn Cirrito on the 2019 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
I would never classify myself as someone religious, but with that being said, it would be ignorant to ignore the beauty of the cathedrals that are scattered across Spain. The Cathedral of Granada is no different, if anything, it was more alluring. Upon stepping into the cathedral, there is of course the initial shock of beauty- needless to say it is completely overwhelming. No matter how many cathedrals I go to, I can say that each time I am floored by the elegance, but within the Cathedral of Granada’s history, there was something that really stuck out at me.
When our tour guide, Nacho, began his speil, I immediately became engaged. He began to tell us that the cathedral took 150 years to be built, allowing for the building to actually become a standing timeline of art history. The side chapels, as Nacho said, were all built at different times which also means during times of different art styles. As you walk from the head of the cathedral, you pass many side chapels which transition from a more Gothic style of art, to eventually art reflecting the Renaissance period. The idea of this building serving as a tangible record of the transition of art and architecture is something that absolutely adds to my astonishment. We would never be able to erect a building of this manner nowadays due to, quite simply, our lack of capability. We don’t have the money or skills to do what they were able to do so long ago, which is something that serves to humble us all. Too frequently, people of today think ourselves to be mighty, capable of anything, but at the end of the day that is just not the truth. Creating such a beautiful building that is also able to withstand centuries is something that is truly beyond awing.
