Church of Santa Ana and the Threshold of Plaza Nueva

Why is it significant?

Conclude your exploration of the Albaicín before the graceful facade of the Church of Santa Ana, standing proudly at the eastern end of Plaza Nueva where the river Darro disappears into its vaulted subterranean tunnel.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Conclude your exploration of the Albaicín before the graceful facade of the Church of Santa Ana, standing proudly at the eastern end of Plaza Nueva where the river Darro disappears into its vaulted subterranean tunnel. Designed in 1537 by the renowned master architect Diego de Siloé, this beautiful temple was erected directly upon the site of the ancient Mosque of al-Zalma. The exterior is celebrated for its exquisite plateresque stone portal, carved with refined classical medallions and statues of Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary beneath an open arched gallery. The church stands at the historic transition where the rustic medieval mountain valley opens into the formal avenues of the modern city, bridging Granada's romantic Moorish past with its Christian imperial identity.

Look up at the soaring brick bell tower: constructed between 1561 and 1563 by master builder Juan Castellar, it retains the proportions, glazed ceramic tile inserts, and geometric sebka brick patterns of an Islamic minaret, standing as a triumphant masterpiece of the Mudéjar style. Inside the church, a magnificent wooden coffered ceiling spanning the single nave features intricate interlaced geometric patterns that showcase the peerless craftsmanship of Granada's Morisco woodworkers.

It was in this very church that celebrated Spanish romantic poet and playwright Mariana Pineda was married in 1819, before she became a national martyr for the liberal cause. Outside the church doors, the Plaza de Santa Ana features the historic Pilar del Toro, a sixteenth-century Renaissance fountain carved by Diego de Siloé displaying a carved bull's head spouting mountain water.

Stand quietly beside the fountain and listen: beneath the paving stones beneath your feet, you can hear the muffled rush of the river Darro flowing unseen toward its confluence with the Genil.

Here ends your journey through the enchanted streets and viewpoints of the Albaicín, where every stone echoes with the mingled memories of Moorish sultans, Christian conquerors, and eternal poets.