The Emperor's Chambers

These chambers were built on the gardens that surrounded the fortress and the Gallery of the Wrought Iron Grille (Galería de la Reja) connected them with other buildings. They were designed as the dwelling of Charles V for as long as the works of his palace would last, but he never lived in these chambers. They comprise 6 halls, finished in 1537. Two of them are located between the Patio of the Wrought Iron Grille (Patio de la Reja) and Daraxa's Garden (Jardín de Daraxa). These halls have square coffered ceilings and the following inscription appears on the frieze of one of them: «Imperator Karolus V Hispaniarum rex semper augustus pius foelix invictissimus» and the motto «Plus oultre», which means far beyond. On the frontal wall there is a chimney with winged monsters in relief. 

The other four halls, located to the north of Daraxa's Garden (Jardín de Daraxa), are known as Washington Irving chambers (Habitaciones de Washington Irving), for the American writer lived there in 1829, when he visited Granada. In the first of them there is a chimney with the imperial emblems and a coffered ceiling. In the second chamber the coffered ceiling is even more exquisitely decorated. The ceilings and the chimneys were made by Pedro Machuca. The other two chambers, called the Fruit Chambers (Habitaciones de las Frutas) because of the decoration, are smaller and also include the motto «Plus oultre» as part of the decoration. 

From these chambers you may access the Gallery of the Dressing Room (Galería del Peinador), which was built in the 16th century on the walk by the ramparts and restored in 1842 in the old style.