I finally found my way into the former cloister of the San Stefano church.
- Cloister of San Stefano
There are so many relics mounted onto the walls around the cloister.
The entry to the cloister is from Campo San Angelo. The building is currently being used by government agencies.
I stopped to take a photo of the canal that runs under San Stefano. Then I noticed an interesting feature on the archway.
- Now, I want to see this from the other side
The post today brought 2 cards from different parts of the globe. Thank you to Ellen, from New York city, and Elaine, who is from Montreal, but sent her card from Paris, where she has been spending her holidays.
Hello World 
Ester,
If you are still following this, I would suggest that you contact the Patronata Municipal Fundación Albaicín the email address is given at the bottom of the home page of that website I gave above.
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Thank you, Bert!
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Ester, I have visited Granada a couple or three times, but I don’t know about the Carmenes. I googled ‘carmenes granada’ and found this site near the top http://www.albaicin-granada.com/nueva/carmenes/textos4.htm.
My Spanish is very limited, so I clicked ‘Translate this page’. What I read seemed pretty comprehensive. If you need more, I’m sure there is a Granada forum on TripAdvisor where somebody could help you.
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These carmenes are fascinating and mysterious. Very high walls surround them. I have been told from a spanish citizen that these carmens are unique in the world. The gardens inside are made like the hanging gardens of Babylon. I read that these carmens are of arabic origin. There is a kind of melancholy while walking in these gardens. I wish I could
have a look at them. Now to my question. Anyone studying the story of the Inquisition knows that on Saturday the priests used to look down on Granada to see if there was smoke coming out of the chimneys. If no smoke that meant there
were Jews living in that house as they don’t cook on Saturdays. They then descended and
took the Jew to the dungeon. Is that why you can’t see
anything from the top ? Why these very high walls ?
When the Jews were expelled from Spain, what happened
to their houses ? Were these carmenes their houses ?
If yes, the proof would be to know if there are hidden
stairways, under these houses where the Jews could
escape ….. while walking through the streets of the Albacin
you can’t escape the haunting feeling of mystery and questions surrounding these carmenes …..
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Ester, I think this is not the place where you will find the answers to your questions. I honestly don’t even know where to direct you.
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There are two versions of the rooster story, one from Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain, and another similar tale from Barcelos, Portugal. In both legends, a pilgrim was wrongly accused of theft. He or his parents prayed to St James, and his innocence was proved when a cooked rooster, about to be eaten, came to life and crowed. There is a painting attributed to Antonio Palma in San Giacomo (St James) dall’Orio of the Miracle of St James Resurrecting the Rooster.
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Yvonne, you must visit Granada! The Alhambra is an absolutely essential experience. There is a famous line by Francisco de Icaza: Dale limosna, mujer, que no hay en la vida nada como la pena de ser ciego en Granada.[Give him alms, woman, for in this life there is nothing so pitiable as to be blind in Granada] said to a woman who would have passed a blind beggar in Granada.
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My question concerns the “Carmenes” in Granada.
Anyone know info. ?
Regards
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I’ll see if Bert knows anything about this, Ester.
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Good evening
I like reading y/articles. Any chance you’ve been to Granada in Spain ? I’m asking because I have a few questions on that town and no one seems to know the answer. Searched in the net too.
Cheers
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Hi, Ester. No, I haven’t been to Granada. Maybe someone will read your comment, and you can ask them!
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The tax department, no wonder there were all those folks with an abacus in each hand. 🙂
Bert, I know you love a challenge. Can you please find out about the Palma painting of St James resurrecting a rooster?! Why would a rooster deserve resurrection? Was St James bored at the dinner party?
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If I remember rightly, the building is used by the tax department, and so it is open to the public. In case you may be thinking that Yvonne got the name wrong, ‘San Stefano’ is the Venetian version; ‘Santo Stefano’ is the Italian. It is (I’m pretty sure) the only church in Venice with a canal running underneath it. It must be a pretty safe place to park your boat.
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Well, FS, it wasn’t quite like the other place I shared with you. The door was open, that is as good as an engraved invitation to me!
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You get into all the best places….
So how’d you get in? Was this a matter of asking a caretaker? Or a matter of not asking anyone and just nosing your way in?
Or, is this just another beautiful public space the public never sees?
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Wish I could send you a card from Mexico, but you would never get it. Nuns should be walking in this building, not government types.
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Their spirits are present there, Darlene. It must have been a cold place in the winter.
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Venice……sigh!
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Even in the rain, Michelle.
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San Stefano……..sigh
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There’s not much evidence of actual work going on at your place, Sheila!
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