Assimilating the Nasrid legacy. The evolution of gazing at Granada landscape through the royal works at the Alham-bra and the Generalife (15th – 16th centuries)

Abstract

In this article, we propose a reflection on the variations occurred in the ways of looking at and relating with Granada landscape from inside the architectural space, particularly between the conquest of the Islamic city and the end of the 16th century. This evolution seems to be especially noticeable in various palatine spaces at the Alhambra and the Generalife. This research highlights that "the landscape interpreted" directly depends both on the culture and on the social, political and religious situation. This changing conceptualization is then channeled through the ruling artistic principles and transferred to the intentional and deliberate architectural design, settling the desired relations with the surrounding environment. As a result, these cultural patterns can be considered as heritage values and as an irreplaceable part of the local landscape history, which is certainly inseparable from its architectural production.