Christian dominance in Granada

By Tyler Goldberger

When thinking about our weeklong journey in Andalusia, there are so many moments that stand out as special, meaningful, and awakening. The history covered in our academic course regarding the convoluted relationship between Christians, Muslims, and Jews in al-Andalus has really been engaging, and I wish I could express how visually seeing the construction of Christian iconography over a number of Islamic and Jewish places of worship demonstrated the complex nature of religion in Spain. If one were to visit Spain, they would be inundated by the constant reminders of Christian dominance and wealth in the Spanish Golden Age, especially since these leaders came to power by exerting force over other Abrahamic religions in the process. The prevailing narrative of Catholicism appears all throughout Andalusia, depicting the heroism of Catholic figures and architecture for the generations to come.

Our day in Granada emphasized the large role that Catholic leaders of the past still play in developing the identity of Andalusia. When entering the Alhambra, the state-of-the-art artistry and symbolism shows the beauty of Islamic culture and Arabic scripture. The fortress is adorned with some of the most beautiful fountains, flowers, and decorative rooms that I have ever seen in my life. It is truly amazing the amount of work and effort Muslim rulers put into “The Red” as its own functioning town.

The Alhambra was infiltrated by Christian rulers and redesigned in order to serve the needs of Charles V. This large complex serves as a symbolic shrine to the culture of the Islamic faith, yet Charles V decided to implant his own show of dominance within the Alhambra. Therefore, constructed right in the middle of this old Islamic fortress lies an unfinished Catholic palace. This directly hints at the power Charles V held following the official end of the reconqusitain 1492. This display supports the nation that the Catholic narrative was the one that was to remain the prominent story, re-signifying the history of Muslim leadership within al-Andalus in the process. Ironically enough, this monument was never finished and has never served a functional purpose, built only because this Catholic king wanted to demean Islamic power by asserting Christian dominance in a Muslim space.

Following the Alhambra tour, I yearned to learn more about how Christian iconography manifests itself in the last city that fell to the Reconquista. As I imagined, the fact that the Muslim community in Granada held up a fight for over 200 years following the fall of Sevilla (which essentially served as the last stronghold of Muslim rule in al-Andalus) would incite Catholic leaders to assert their dominance in this land. As we walked around the city, it did not take long to see the massive royal cathedral which started construction just 13 years after the Catholics officially conquered Granada. Luckily, we had the opportunity to tour both the Royal Cathedral and Royal Chapel, where Isabel and Ferdinand are buried today.

I was first drawn to these sites by their grandiose nature. They are large and placed prominently in the city, showing that these sites served as important meeting hubs and religious centers as the Catholics took over all of al-Andalus. Entering the royal cathedral, I immediately recognized just how important the Catholic Church was for members of the Christian community during this time. Christianity had to prove their power, especially since they had just taken over this land, so they decided to build an immaculate structure that reminds you of the religiosity of the site at every turn. The central mural, the ambulatory, the sacristy – all of these settings within the cathedral show the need to show Christianity as the prevailing narrative in Granada.

We also entered the Royal Chapel, a separate building that very much alluded to the power of the Christian leaders during this time. What amazed me most was the placement of Ferdinand and Isabel’s tombstones inside this religious site. Not only did the Christians have to remind the Muslim and Jewish communities of their dominance by completing the Reconquista and taking over the landmass of al-Andalus, but they also wanted these minority communities to be reminded constantly of the leaders who fervently legitimized the Inquisition against heretics. Therefore, they rested the remains of the leaders of the Jewish expulsion and manifestation of Christian dominance in the city that most stubbornly held on to its Muslim leadership. The Christian community capitalized on its newfound power to silence all other religious communities.

This overlap between Muslim identity and Christian power really appeared all throughout our trip to Granada. I was amazed at how stark the difference was between almost 800 years of Muslim rule in this city and the iconography of Christian religiosity that constructed itself directly following the finished Reconquista. I know that the overwhelming Christian identity that swept the city of Granada after 1492 would not have been acknowledged without visually seeing the layout of the city and overlapping religious identities that still present themselves in Granada today.

Incorporating the Jewish voice into this history

By Tyler Goldberger

This trip has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I came into the Andalusia course eager to learn about such a fascinating time in history, but I did not imagine how much this history and these narratives would come to life over our week in Spain. I have been lucky enough to have been to Spain twice in the last eighteen months – first, a semester abroad in Madrid, and second, a summer research position looking at historical memory in Spain to jumpstart my double theses in History and Spanish. Even with these experiences, this class trip felt much more intimate and much more concentrated on such an important topic. Our Andalusian adventure toured the development and restrictions of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities during and follow Muslim rule in al-Andalus. There were so many memorable portions of the trip, and I want to highlight a few that were significant to me.

Our time in Sevilla resonated deeply with a lot of the class due to its beauty and historic nature. Our bond strengthened over the course of our Sevilla adventure, and it was an added bonus to form such strong relationships with my classmates. We knew we had to end up in Granada by the end of our last day in Sevilla, so we decided to take the morning leisurely. We found a nice café and then made the decision to go through the Jewish Museum located in the Jewish Quarter of Sevilla (judería de Sevilla) even though this was not an original destination of ours. We ran into it the day prior and thought it would speak to the themes of Reconquista and Convivencia that have been so crucial to our understanding of this complex time period.

I cannot express how much I appreciated the visit to this museum. While small in size, this space gave Jewish people the voice to explore their own past history. As we have learned, Jews were severely mistreated by the Christians once they claimed much of the territory and eventually were expelled in 1492. Therefore, it was rare for Jews to have the opportunity to express their version of this time in al-Andalus. This museum developed the life and experiences of Jews in southern al-Andalus because of its concentration on important Jewish figures and events that impacted the Jewish population. Instead of giving an abridged historical account, the museum made sure to emphasize Jewish stories and voices of suffering and survival under Christian rule. The narratives highlighted the pain and loss that came from tragic moments in Sevillian history, including the July 1391 riots that left many dead. We were able to engage with the policies and practices of the Inquisition from a Jewish perspective, something uncommon when considering how minority/oppressed voices find it difficult to distribute their version of history. These ideas and themes came to life at this Jewish museum.

 

We also learned about an old mosque that was a large synagogue while the Sevillian Jewish Quarter still existed. Today, however, this important Jewish worship site transformed into a large church now called Iglesia de Santa María la Blanca. It was unfortunately closed when we attempted to enter, but we were able to see the original entrance door of the old synagogue. Right in front of me, I saw the transfer of religious power that came with political leadership and land/territory acquisition. Sevilla presented a rich and accurate story of the relationship of Abrahamic religions in Spain in medieval al-Andalus. Grateful is an understatement for being able to experience this history where it happened many years ago.

Now, I see myself interested in the current Jewish population in Sevilla and all throughout Spain. As someone who studies post-Franco historical memory in Spain, I have engaged with the more contemporary aspects and population of this region. However, I find myself wanting to focus more specifically on how Jewish populations have developed since 1391 and 1492 in this region. When we toured the old synagogue of Córdoba, I asked the tour guide how many Jewish families still reside in this prosperous city. Quickly, she acknowledged that only five families still call Córdoba home. What has influenced the Jewish population to stay away from Spain? Are there any attempts to pull these Jews back to their Sephardic roots? Our trip has brought so much history to life for me, and I come back yearning to know how this history has manifested itself in today’s make-up of Spain’s religious population.

Andalusia: an embedded travel course

Through a gracious grant by the Lauder Family Foundation, we are proud to present this website dedicated to our embedded travel course, Andalusia. 

This course explores the intersection of cultures, religions, languages, and peoples through the history, architecture, poetry, music, philosophy, and everyday life of southern Spain. Special focus on the cultural flourishing resulting from the contact—and sometimes clash—of European, Spanish, Islamic, Arab, African, Middle Eastern, and Jewish civilizations and of the Arabic, Spanish, and Hebrew languages. Analyzes overlaps in mystical conceptions of the divine, in philosophical ideas about rational knowledge, in poetic and musical forms, in architectural styles, and in shared histories. We also explore how Andalusian culture continues to thrive in modern consciousness (through music, poetry, art, dance, architecture, etc.) as a crossroads of civilizations.

 

COURSE GOALS

  1. to understand the specific histories and cultures of these three different religious traditions during the medieval period
  2. to understand how these specific religious traditions interacted with, borrowed from, and inspired each other
  3. to understand how this history informed the trajectory leading toward the European Renaissance and Enlightenment
  4. to understand how this history informed the trajectory leading toward the conquest of the Americas
  5. to be able to think critically about issues of cultural diversity and coexistence, as well as intolerance, and how it relates to the world we live in today