# Palace of Charles V, Granada > The Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance building in the middle of the Alhambra, utterly unlike the Moorish palaces beside it. It's a 63-metre square hiding a circular courtyard with two tiers of columns. Work began in 1527 to a design by Pedro Machuca, but the roof was only finished in 1967. Inside are the Alhambra Museum and the Fine Arts Museum. The courtyard is usually open without a ticket; allow 30–60 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/spain/granada/palace-of-charles-v - City: [Granada](https://yesgo.io/spain/granada), Spain - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: Courtyard free, museums paid - Opening hours: Daily, daytime; museums closed Mondays - With kids: Fine with kids - Courtyard: Usually no ticket needed - Museums: Alhambra Museum, Fine Arts Museum - Time needed: 30–60 minutes - Architect: Pedro Machuca - Size: 63 m square, 17 m high - Location: In the centre of the Alhambra - Coordinates: 37.17694, -3.58944 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1527** — construction began (source: English Wikipedia) - **1967** — the roof was finally completed (source: English Wikipedia) - **63 m** — side of the square building (source: English Wikipedia) - **2 museums** — the Alhambra and Fine Arts museums (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Palace of Charles V The Palace of Charles V stands at the heart of the [Alhambra](https://yesgo.io/spain/granada/alhambra), next to the Nasrid Palaces. Emperor Charles V commissioned it as a new residence, and building began in **1527** to a design by **Pedro Machuca**, who had trained under Michelangelo in Rome. It was conceived in pure Italian High Renaissance style, a bold contrast with the lacy Moorish carving next door. Work was slow, stalled for long periods and was abandoned in **1637**, leaving the building roofless. Completion only began in the 20th century, and the roof was finished in **1967**. The emperor never lived here, and today the palace houses two museums. ## The circular courtyard From outside the palace is a stern square, **63 metres** a side and **17 metres** high, with a heavily rusticated ground floor and Ionic pilasters above. The surprise is inside: the square encloses a **circular courtyard** with two tiers of columns, Doric below and Ionic above, a design with no precedent in Renaissance architecture. The open-air courtyard has remarkable acoustics: stand in the centre and speak, and your voice echoes back. In summer it hosts concerts of Granada's international music and dance festival. Look too at the main portals of dark Sierra Elvira stone, decorated with reliefs. ## What to see in the palace - **The circular courtyard** — two tiers of columns under the sky. - **The Alhambra Museum** — carving, tiles and Nasrid vases. - **The Fine Arts Museum** — Granada's painting and sculpture. - **The main portals** — reliefs in dark stone. - **The echo** — stand in the middle and speak. - **The façades** — rusticated ground floor and pilasters. > **When to drop in** The palace lies between the Alcazaba and the Nasrid Palaces, so it's an easy stop while you wait for your Nasrid Palaces slot. The courtyard is usually open without a separate ticket, while the museums keep their own hours, most often closing on Mondays. ## The palace museums On the ground floor is the **Alhambra Museum**, with finds from the palaces themselves: fragments of carved plaster, wooden ceilings, tiles, bronze lamps and the famous winged vases glazed in gold. It helps you imagine how the Alhambra's halls looked when they were lived in. Upstairs is the **Fine Arts Museum of Granada**, with painting and sculpture by Granada artists from the 15th to the 20th century, Renaissance and Baroque religious works and 19th-century views of the Alhambra. The rooms are small and quiet, far less busy than the Nasrid Palaces. ## How to get there 1. Enter the Alhambra; the palace stands in the middle of the complex. 2. Minibuses **C30** and **C32** from the centre to the Alhambra entrance. 3. On foot from Plaza Nueva through the Puerta de las Granadas, about 20 minutes. 4. From the Nasrid Palaces, a couple of minutes on foot. ## Tips for your visit Don't skip the palace even if you came for the Moorish halls: the contrast of two eras on one hill is one of the Alhambra's defining features. Photograph the courtyard from the upper gallery to capture its perfect circle. In summer the courtyard gets very hot, as the stone heats up and there's little shade, so duck into the cool museums. If you're with children, get them to test the echo in the centre; it's always a hit. The palace fits easily into an Alhambra visit: 30 minutes for the courtyard and portals, another half-hour for one of the museums. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Drop in before the Nasrid Palaces - [ ] Test the echo in the courtyard - [ ] See the vases in the Alhambra Museum - [ ] Go up to the upper gallery - [ ] Study the main portals ## Places in Granada: compare and choose Places in Granada rated by YesGo. - [Alhambra](https://yesgo.io/spain/granada/alhambra) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Paid - [Palace of Charles V](https://yesgo.io/spain/granada/palace-of-charles-v) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Courtyard free, museums paid - [Generalife](https://yesgo.io/spain/granada/generalife) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · On the Alhambra ticket ## Don't mix it up The Palace of Charles V is the Renaissance building inside the Alhambra; the Nasrid Palaces are the Moorish halls next door, entered on a timed ticket. ## Tips - Visit while waiting for the Nasrid Palaces. - Try the echo in the centre. - Museums close on Mondays. - Photograph from the upper gallery. ## Questions ### Do you need a ticket for the Palace of Charles V? The courtyard is usually free to enter; the museums keep their own hours. ### What's inside the Palace of Charles V? The circular courtyard, the Alhambra Museum and the Fine Arts Museum of Granada. ### Who built the Palace of Charles V? The architect Pedro Machuca, from 1527. ### How long do you need at the palace? 30–60 minutes. ### Did the emperor live here? No, it was only completed in the 20th century. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Hours and entry rules weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Palace of Charles V - Official website, alhambra-patronato.es --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.