Granada in words: 10 artists who left their mark with quotes about the nasrid city
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Discover Granada Through the Words of Ten Artists
Across the five continents, there are cities that stand out above the rest. They seem to have been touched by a magic wand, endowed with a special charm. These are places that quite literally steal the hearts of those who visit them. Artists have dedicated to them poems, novels, songs, paintings, and all kinds of artistic expressions.
Granada has been a muse for artists and personalities throughout the ages. Many chose it as their residence for long periods, turning it into a constant source of inspiration for poets, writers, painters, filmmakers, and musicians. In this journey, we revisit some of the most memorable phrases uttered under the spell of the Alhambra. And you? Have you ever dedicated a thought to Granada? We invite you to share it with us in the comments.
Francisco de Icaza
- “Give him alms, woman, for there is nothing in life as pitiful as being blind in Granada.”
This celebrated phrase, perhaps the most famous in describing Granada’s immeasurable beauty, was written by Mexican poet and historian Francisco de Icaza during his honeymoon with his Granadan wife, Beatriz de León. He was inspired by the sight of a blind old man begging in the streets.
Federico García Lorca
- “Granada is defenseless before people; for against flattery, nothing and no one can defend themselves.”
- “On the waters of Granada, only sighs row.”
- “Granada is fit for sleep and for dreaming; it borders on the ineffable everywhere… Granada will always be more plastic than philosophical, more lyrical than dramatic.”
An international ambassador of Granada, Lorca carried the beauty of his homeland across the world. His verses still draw travelers and culture lovers to discover the city he so deeply loved.
Estrella Morente
- “Granada is part of my skin, my eyes, my hair, my singing, my food, my children, my parents… I will always return to Granada.”
The Granadan flamenco singer carries her homeland in every note, as did her father, Enrique Morente. In the documentary Morente, Sueña la Alhambra, she sings alongside him in the historic Comares Baths.
Lope de Vega
- “I do not know if I should call heaven the land I tread; if this below is paradise, what must the Alhambra be, heaven?”
One of the greats of Spain’s Golden Age, Lope de Vega also fell under Granada’s spell and immortalized it in his verses.
Antonio Machado
- “All cities have their charm. Granada has its own, and that of all the others.”
With the simplicity and strength that characterize his poetry, Machado condensed in one sentence the multifaceted beauty of the city.
M.C. Escher
- “The Alhambra of Granada is the most fertile source of inspiration I have ever drunk from.”
The Dutch artist found in the Alhambra an endless source of ornamental motifs that he later incorporated into his work.
Juan Ramón Jiménez
- “Then we will go every autumn to Granada to die a little…”
During his 1924 visit with Zenobia Camprubí, the poet from Moguer was deeply impressed by the city, to which he also dedicated the poem Generalife.
Henri Matisse
- “Granada moves you until all your senses dissolve and melt away.”
The French Fauvist painter felt a special fascination for Andalusian aesthetics, which intensified upon visiting the Alhambra.
Miguel de Unamuno
- “Tears welled up in my eyes, and they were not tears of sorrow or joy, but of silent, hidden fullness of life for being in Granada.”
During his 1903 trip, Unamuno expressed this sentiment while walking through the Albaicín, capturing the deep connection he felt with the city.
Ernest Hemingway
- “If we had to visit only one city in Spain, it should be Granada.”
The American novelist, passionate about Spain, made it clear that the city of the Alhambra held a privileged place in his heart.
