A Replica of the Alhambra in Granada: The Passion of a Sevillian

The deep passion of a resident of Paradas, a small town in Seville, for Nasrid art led to the creation of a replica of the rooms and outdoor spaces of the famous Alhambra in Granada within his own home, turning the town into a tourist attraction. This small Alhambra, located next to the town hall on Calle Larga, was created by José Luis Romero, who dedicated twelve years of his life to perfectly replicating the rooms and exterior areas of the Granada monument. Romero passed away in 2020 at the age of 75.

His wife, María del Carmen Muñoz, recalls that José Luis always said, "Come on, just one more detail, and I'll be done." This obsession with details led to the creation of a masterpiece called "Carmen de los Arrayanes." Over those twelve years, his wife began to believe that he would never finish his work, and the craftsmen around him no longer knew what to do.

The replica of the Alhambra in Granada, which is part of the family's home, can be visited for five euros. This work emerged because José Luis "went to the Alhambra like someone would go to the bar on the corner," and then returned with photos. Despite working in the textile and clothing industry with no relation to architecture or carpentry, he relied on his craftsman friends to recreate the details he wanted in his home.

María del Carmen admits that when her husband first told her he wanted to replicate the Alhambra in their home, she thought he was "crazy." However, over time, she realized that she never saw herself living in that house because the work never ended. Eventually, they decided to move in before the interior doors were even installed.

The house is divided into four main rooms, which include recreations of part of the Patio de los Leones and ceiling designs from the Sala de la Barca in the original Alhambra, as well as an impressive "Alhambra Glass" standing 1.38 meters tall and weighing 80 kilograms, which presides over the main hall.

The last room is a large heated swimming pool with a wooden dome that opens by remote control and allows natural light to enter. The family never thought their home would become such a popular tourist attraction, but a visit by the Tourism Minister of the Junta of Andalusia, Rafael Rodríguez, to Paradas in 2013 changed everything. The minister requested "three minutes" to see the house, but his visit lasted more than half an hour, amazed by what he saw.

From that day on, requests to visit the house began pouring in from all over Spain. The house is meticulously detailed for tourists, with numbered tiles guiding them through every corner. One visitor even fell so in love with the house that he offered to buy it from the family.

José Luis's legacy is invaluable, and the family continues to preserve it without any official support. The money collected from tickets is allocated for the maintenance of the house, and thus the Alhambra continues to live in the middle of the Sevillian countryside, leaving everyone who visits it in awe.
 

en.Dunyatimes.com