Even the names of the streets conjure up Lorca in Granada. To walk through this city, crowned by the Alhambra, is a solemn process, if we take into account how many cultures added their grain of sand in order to produce the intense beauty we see today. This is intensified when we recall all the artists that at some point made it their muse. And suddenly, on our route, on looking up, we discover the names of streets that remind us more of a fragment of a flamenco song or a poem written at one of the miradores than a common avenue from any locality. To walk through this city of ours is much more dreamlike. We have collected some examples to show this.
Calle Duende
Duende speaks of the quality or gift possessed by some people to perform arts related to flamenco. To put one’s soul into dancing, singing, clapping or the guitar…Flamenco is ever-present in such typical Granada neighbourhoods as Sacromonte or Albaicín. However, this street is not in either of those places, but right in the centre of Granada, in the area of Puerta Real.
Calle Beso
There are many types of kisses, and on walking through this street in Albaicín and close to Plaza Nueva, our imagination takes us to those passionate, romantic kisses contained within the novels of the 19th century. However, the legend hidden behind the name is connected to the kissing of a girl by her mother. It is said that she died while sleeping, a few days before her wedding, and her grief-stricken mother bid farewell with a goodbye kiss that brought her back to life. There are theories that, more than a miracle, it was a case of catalepsy, but those around her opted for mother’s love as the reviving factor.
Calle Milagro
Walking through Granada is for many a miracle, as the beauty of the city amazes and overwhelms a huge number of visitors. There is no theory regarding the origin of the name of this street, which can be found in the heart of Puerta Real, but the name itself is poetic.
Calle Yerma
This is the name of one of the most famous, universal plays by Federico García Lorca. As is common in his work, Yerma is a tragedy which, after reading or seeing it, leaves an impression on the heart. The poet and playwright moved like a fish through water in plays depicting rural drama. Other examples of the genre were Bodas de Sangre or La Casa de Bernarda Alba. All of them deal with the oppressed voices of women. Yerma is about barrenness and fertility. The street can be found in the Zaidín neighbourhood, located on the outskirts of Granada.
Calle Niños Luchando
This name, more than for its poetry, surprises us in its originality. The street is located right in the centre of Granada, very close to San Jerónimo. Although there is no accurate theory, according to Granada Magazine there is an essay signed by Julio Belza y Ruiz de la Fuente stating that the story originates in a room in a house on the street centuries ago. Two children were playing there by an old, weak wall, which collapsed while they were enjoying themselves. The father of the two ordered the construction of a marble relief with images of the two and put it on the front of the house. Although there is no certainty that it existed, the Granada street was baptised with this strange name.
Paseo de los tristes
It is considered to be one of the most beautiful streets in the world. It is popularly known by everyone as Paseo de los Tristes, but on the sign indicating the street we can read Paseo del Padre Manjón. Its name comes from the fact that in its day it was the street along which the funeral processions passed on their way to the cemetery, located next to the Alhambra.
