Granada Charterhouse

This Carthusian monastery on the northern edge of the city was begun in the early sixteenth century and elaborated over the following centuries into one of the most dazzling examples of Spanish Baroque decoration. Its sacristy, in particular, is famed for swirling stucco, colored marbles, and inlaid woodwork of extraordinary intricacy. Frescoes and gilded altarpieces fill the church and chapels. The contrast between the austere monastic ideal and the overwhelming ornamentation makes it a striking monument to the exuberance of the late Baroque.