The Alhambra will restore a hidden Generalife garden closed to the public

The Alhambra Board of Trustees will restore the Garden of La Umbría, a space that has remained closed to visitors since 2018 following a period of heavy rainfall. The aim is to reopen it as part of the visitor route through the monumental complex.

The garden is located on the northern slope of the Generalife Palace, the former summer residence of the Nasrid sultans. It lies between the Generalife Woods and the Patio of the Sultana. Its restoration will allow this unique area to be reopened to visitors. More than €118,000 will be invested in the project, with works expected to take approximately three months.

Although the garden was remodelled around twenty years ago to stabilise the hillside with a retaining wall, the heavy rainfall recorded between February and March 2018 caused the wall to shift. Cracks also appeared, along with damage to the irrigation system. The restoration project will repair these issues, reinforce the stability of the garden and ensure its long-term preservation so that it can once again be safely enjoyed by visitors.

The project will also include earthworks, the renewal of the pathways and improvements to the lighting system. In addition, the historic fountain carved from Sierra Elvira stone will be restored, and the garden itself will undergo comprehensive landscaping works. The aim is to return the Garden of La Umbría to its former splendour.

Interestingly, the preliminary studies carried out for the restoration project suggest that the terrace on which the garden stands may date back to the medieval period. The current layout belongs to the 19th century. However, archaeological and historical research indicates that a garden already existed here centuries earlier, probably during the Renaissance and possibly with even older Nasrid origins.

This heritage restoration project forms part of the Alhambra Board of Trustees' ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance different areas of the Nasrid monument. It will also recover for public visits a site of remarkable historical and scenic value within the Generalife.