Spain: Hidden Treasures

Submitted by Kaitlyn Cirrito on the 2019 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…

For something to be truly striking it is important that all the small, seemingly minuscule, details are executed properly. The buildings that I stood in today are a prime example of this. To be constantly surrounded by such beauty, as I was today, really makes you take a step back and just take it all in (as cliché as it sounds). Not only are the buildings astonishing looking, but it is amazing to see that they have withstood so much within the years that they have existed. This is just an extra element to add to my awe while I was standing there admiring the architecture. For someone to have thought it possible to build such an elegant and luxurious building in the time period that they were constructed in, and then actually execute it is just mind boggling to me. Not to mention all the hidden gems, like the poems that are written on the walls. This feature was something that really grabbed my attention because the utter attention to detail for design there is on that of another level. Hearing that some of the poems spoke from the perspective of the Alhambra was such an interesting writing technique. Being in the presence of these buildings today was definitely humbling and something that I will never forget.

A fountain near the entrance of The Alambra
The detail that was used in order to create a reflecting pool to show off the beauty of the building
An example of the poems that are written and hidden throughout The Alambra