P A L A C I O D E C A R L O S V
NAME: PALACIO DE CARLOS V
LOCATION: GRANADA, SPAIN
ARCHITECT: PEDRO MACHUCA
BUILT: 1533
CURRENT USE: MUSEUM
The Palacio in context
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The Palacio De Carlos V was comissioned by
Charles the Fifth whose intention was to construct a
permanent residence befitting an emperor. Construc-
tion began in 1533 on top of the hill of Assabica but
was never completed. The palace is located within
the Alhanbra complex. Its north-east corner abuts
the Court of The Lions and The Court of the Myr-
tles. Even in its unfinished state the palace, eith its
sober facade, is the finest example of High Renais-
Cut stone facade Rotunda: Ground floor level
sance architecture in Spain.
The project architect was Pedro Machuca. Ma-
chuca was born in Toledo, Spain in 1458. Machuca
was influenced by the work of Rafael and worked
exclusively as a painter until 1526. Machuca’s work
exhibits a command of the renaissance style that
was rare among non-Italian architects in the late
1520’s.
The palace has a strict geometric plan, with a
Rotunda: First floor level
circular courtyard inscribed within the square block
containing the various rooms. The plan is a sixty
five metre square, with the building reaching sev-
enteen in height. The inner courtyard consists of a
two storey rotunda with Doric columns in the lower
gallery and Ionic columns in the upper gallery. The
interior spaces and the staircases are also governed
by the geometry of the square and the circle.
Geometry of interior spaces and staircases