Iglesia de San Gregorio Betico
Iglesia de San Gregorio Betico
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Neighborhood: Albaicín
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1,925 within 3 miles
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294 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
41 reviews
Excellent
15
Very good
13
Average
12
Poor
1
Terrible
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Raúl N
Antequera, Spain
Oct 2023 • Couples
This small church is located right at the beginning of the San Gregorio slope, which is one of the most popular accesses to the albaycín. Its 16th century Mannerist doorway on a whitewashed façade draws attention.
The interior is a place of worship and meditation for believers that houses a curious congregation of nuns who are usually present during their prayers in front of the baroque-style main altarpiece.
The interior is a place of worship and meditation for believers that houses a curious congregation of nuns who are usually present during their prayers in front of the baroque-style main altarpiece.
Written October 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bluebellplasnewydd
Cardiff, UK
Oct 2023 • Couples
You will find this church if you walk back from the St Nicholas viewpoint. It is beautiful inside and run by nuns in a closed order. You are likely to see 1 or 2 of them as they also have a small religious shop on site. Most of the time, however, they are praying. Do not miss an opportunity to go inside for a few minutes.
Written November 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mairwen1
United Kingdom
Feb 2020
This little church and convent is one of the sights you see if you are walking up to the lookout point, Mirador San Nicolas. To get there, we walked from Plaza Nueva, along Calle Elvira, turning right at Calle Caldereria Nueva and continuing uphill for a couple of minutes until we came to the teeny, weeny plaza where the church is located. It really is a very pretty little white church, in a tiny stone cobbled plaza. It’s picture postcard perfect.
What was most beautiful though, was that when we looked inside, there were several nuns, heads bowed in prayer. We did not go in any further as we did not want to intrude but it was an unexpectedly moving sight.
The church that stands here today was mostly built in the 1500s but it goes back even further than that. During Muslim rule, it was a prison and dungeon where Christians were held and tortured. After the Christian monarchs took back Granada, San Gregorio’s was built on the same site to honour two Catholic Franciscan monks who died here in 1397. They had been arrested for preaching outside the Alhambra mosque, tied to horses’ tails, dragged along the streets and thrown into the dungeon here.
The church has had a lot of ups and days over its 500 years or so of history. In the 19th century, the government forced the church to sell much of its land and property and for a brief period, the church was sold off and turned it into a brothel. Hard to imagine when you look at its beautifully serene, white façade today. Later, during the Spanish Civil War, it was also burnt and was badly damaged.
Today it is fully restored and functions as a church and cloistered convent.
To continue to the lookout, take the stepped road on the left hand side of the church and continue uphill. From San Gregorio’s, the lookout is about another 10 minutes further on.
What was most beautiful though, was that when we looked inside, there were several nuns, heads bowed in prayer. We did not go in any further as we did not want to intrude but it was an unexpectedly moving sight.
The church that stands here today was mostly built in the 1500s but it goes back even further than that. During Muslim rule, it was a prison and dungeon where Christians were held and tortured. After the Christian monarchs took back Granada, San Gregorio’s was built on the same site to honour two Catholic Franciscan monks who died here in 1397. They had been arrested for preaching outside the Alhambra mosque, tied to horses’ tails, dragged along the streets and thrown into the dungeon here.
The church has had a lot of ups and days over its 500 years or so of history. In the 19th century, the government forced the church to sell much of its land and property and for a brief period, the church was sold off and turned it into a brothel. Hard to imagine when you look at its beautifully serene, white façade today. Later, during the Spanish Civil War, it was also burnt and was badly damaged.
Today it is fully restored and functions as a church and cloistered convent.
To continue to the lookout, take the stepped road on the left hand side of the church and continue uphill. From San Gregorio’s, the lookout is about another 10 minutes further on.
Written January 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan 2019
We loved this church which is completely unique . The contemplative nuns ( they dedicate their lives to prayer ) pray all day in front of the blessed sacrament and when they sing they sound like young angels. It is a 40 seater church with a gate separating the nuns from the public.
A truely beautiful experience in a place where the veil between Heaven and Earth is very thin.
It touches your soul like nothing I have experienced.
A truely beautiful experience in a place where the veil between Heaven and Earth is very thin.
It touches your soul like nothing I have experienced.
Written January 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DR. KEN
Makati, Philippines
Dec 2019
While walking down from the Mirador San Nicolas we stumbled onto this unassuming place. I had heard that there are nuns praying for others all day. We visited and very glad we did.
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian S
Meaford, Canada
Mar 2019 • Couples
I didn't expect to be so moved by this tiny Church in a beautiful historic location of Granada. To experience a place where the nuns never leave the Church, and spend their lives praying constantly, was a moving experience. You can't help but be moved by experiencing this place and observing the nuns, facing the alter, covered in white, praying and singing.
Written March 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Skeney57
Sydney, Australia
Oct 2017 • Couples
Dropped in whilst wandering aimlessly and found a cute little church with a beautiful ornate Altar area which is locked off for its own protection ! Pretty quiet and serene and worth a quick stop & gawk !
Written December 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane K
Venice, FL
Feb 2016 • Couples
Entry is free to this small church that is home to cloistered nuns. The nuns take turns praying around the clock - and all the nuns pray together at noon.
Written February 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jose f
Miami, FL
May 2022
Very beautiful church, very close to the Mirador San Nicolas, it has a very beautiful altar, this will be a quick visit.
Written October 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alan P
Bromley, UK
Mar 2018 • Couples
As part of a walking tour we were taken to this church where there are nuns always praying. At lunch time they sing hymns but we did not see this. Lovely inside and worth a look at any time day or evening.
Written May 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve W
Victoria Capital Regional District, Canada
One guide said it was first a mosque but t zhe Chrkstian authorities used is as a prison for heretics.Another guide said the Muslim rulers used it as a dungeon. Which was it?
Written February 19, 2019
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