Convento de Santa Catalina de Zafra (Dominicas) - Granada

A large Renaissance facade with a white stone facade, on which can be seen a statue of Saint Catherine of Siena and the coats of arms of the family of Don Hernando de Zafra, secretary to the Catholic Monarchs, gives access to the Zafra Monastery in Granada .

It was founded in 1520, although its construction was not completed until 1540, thanks to the support of Zafra's widow.

The monastery has several courtyards that come from the Moorish houses that were donated for construction.

The best preserved of the complex is the Arab House of Zafra , which dates back to the 14th century and can be seen from Calle Concepción de Zafra.
The beautiful Mudejar-style church had to be restored after a serious fire in 1678 , after which the current Baroque decorations were applied. Only the walls and part of the first main altarpiece and the murals in the choir survive from the original church.

The dome of the main chapel, richly decorated with baroque plasterwork, stands out for its beauty.

The monastery is an interesting museum that preserves important pieces of the Baroque school of Granada and is little known.

The congregation of Dominican nuns make some of Granada's best-loved convent sweets.

Willem Vandenameele