Casa de los Tiros Palace and Granada History Museum
Why is it significant?
Arrive before the imposing fortified stone facade of the Casa de los Tiros, a monumental sixteenth-century palace built between 1530 and 1540 by the noble Granada-Venegas family.
Key Facts
| Place | Casa de los Tiros Palace and Granada History Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | Calle Pavaneras 19, 18009 Granada, Spain |
| Geo Coordinates | 37.17350, -3.59400 |
| Part of Walk | Sacromonte Caves and El Realejo: Flamenco Heritage and Noble Carmenes |
| Generated | Generated |
Arrive before the imposing fortified stone facade of the Casa de los Tiros, a monumental sixteenth-century palace built between 1530 and 1540 by the noble Granada-Venegas family. Descended from the Nasrid royal line, this distinguished noble family converted to Christianity following the conquest and served the Castilian crown as High Constables of Granada. The palace earns its curious popular name from the twelve bronze artillery pieces and falconets projecting through the crenellated battlements of its upper tower, designed to intimidate urban rivals with a show of military might. The palace interior preserves an impressive collection of antique heraldic tiles, wrought-iron weaponry, and ornate leather furnishings that reflect the aristocratic grandeur of sixteenth-century Granada.
Gaze up at the main stone portal to inspect its elaborate Renaissance iconography: sculpted figures of classical heroes and gods, including Hercules, Theseus, Mercury, and Hector, flank the entrance beneath an enigmatic knightly motto reading «El corazón manda», or «The heart commands». On the noble floor inside lies the peerless Cuadra Dorada, a magnificent reception hall crowned by a polychrome cedar coffered ceiling featuring carved relief portraits of Spanish monarchs, heroes, and Golden Age luminaries.
Today, the building houses the Museo Casa de los Tiros, dedicated to the cultural history, folklore, and arts of Granada during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its collections preserve romantic engravings of the Alhambra by British travelers, traditional Fajalauza pottery, historic festival posters, and personal belongings of celebrated Granada writers including Ángel Ganivet and Federico García Lorca.
Touch the bronze cannon barrels protruding through the upper stone battlements: they are authentic sixteenth-century artillery pieces that symbolize the family's military prestige.
Walk southwest along Calle Pavaneras and turn into Calle Santa Escolástica toward the historic Almohad palace of Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo.