The Prince and Princess of Asturias delighted about their visit to the Alhambra

The President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Susana Díaz, accompanied the Prince and Princess of Asturias on their visit to the exhibition “Art and Cultures of al-Andalus. The power of the Alhambra”, which has over 300 exhibits representing the culture of al-Andalus and the history of the Kingdom of Granada in this its thousandth anniversary year. The exhibition, which opened on 2 December and will run until 30 March, is being held in the Palace of Charles V.
The visit started in the Chapel and Crypt of the Palace of Charles V where the most representative pieces in the exhibition are on display. These include some personal items belonging to Boabdil, the last Sultan of Granada, such as his Haik or tunic, his rapier and his gaiters, as well as historical documents such as the Capitulations, the official document in which Boabdil surrendered to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. They were accompanied on their visit by the curators of the exhibition, Rafael López Guzmán, Professor of History of Art and José Miguel Puerta Vílchez, a lecturer at the University of Granada, together with other personalities.
The Prince and Princess of Asturias showed great interest in some of the pieces on display in the exhibition such as the 11th century white marble well-rim loaned by the Santa Cruz Museum in Toledo, the Nasrid-era fabrics and the pieces of plasterwork. They were also impressed by the restoration of the Court of the Lions. The Director of the Council of the Alhambra and Generalife, María del Mar Villafranca, explained to them that the restoration work has revealed interesting decorative details of the 12 sculptures from the Nasrid era, showing that each lion is different, with its own characteristic mane and features. “The Prince and Princess were thrilled by the murmur of water running through the Court of the Lions”, said Villafranca.
After their visit, the royal couple signed the Book of Honour of the Alhambra with a dedication in which they said “it is always very moving to visit the Alhambra, a wonder of our history admired throughout the world. We were especially pleased to note the care and continuous effort required to keep it “alive” and we congratulate all those concerned for the amazing recent restoration work that has been done in the Court of the Lions. Today we also visited the magnificent exhibition “Art and Cultures of al-Andalus. The power of the Alhambra”, an excellent example of dissemination, research and museography, which highlights the wealth of artistic creation in a fascinating period in the history of Spain in Granada and Andalusia”.
After signing the Book of Honour, the Director presented the Prince and Princess with a brooch inspired by the motifs which decorate the Alhambra, a replica of the plasterwork from the Tower of the Ladies, the book-CD by Juan Carlos Garbayo entitled “En la Alhambra” and the book of drawings by the Granada artist Miguel Rodríguez-Acosta.