Extra Alhambra attraction this month

FOR the month of January only, visitors to Granada’s Alhambra will be able to see inside the Torre de la Vela.

The management board of the Alhambra and Generalife are opening the dwelling that occupies the third floor of the Torre de la Vela, considered to be one of the best parts of the monument, to the public for just one month.

After the Christian conquest, the Alcazaba was placed in military hands and the rooms became the residence of the person in charge of ringing the Torre de la Vela bell. The Mutilated Knights – wounded soldiers – were placed in charge of the bell by the governor.

Encarnacion La Velera, widow of the soldier who held the post, was the last person to live in the tower until the middle of the 20th century, when the Alhambra became a cultural monument.

The Alhambra, already a great attraction, increased its artistic value over the last two years by acquiring 20 unique pieces, valued at €250,300, including daguerreotypes, a 15^th century box and a book of 19^th century photographs of the monument by Rafael Garzon.