Campo del Príncipe, Granada

Where the square is

The Campo del Príncipe sits in the Realejo-San Matías district of central Granada. Teatro Flamenco Granada gives its address as Campo del Príncipe 7, Centro, 18009 Granada, so the theatre stands on the square itself. That makes it easy to arrive a little early, sit outside and watch the square settle into evening before you go in for the show.

A cemetery turned parade ground

Spanish Wikipedia says the square was laid out on the site of a former Muslim cemetery, and that the city council had the ground levelled in 1497 so that celebrations for the wedding of Prince Juan could be held there. The name has stayed. The paving and the changes of level you see today are mostly 20th-century work, so the open space is older than the surfaces under your feet. The name still describes what happened: a field, in the Spanish sense of an open space, made for a royal occasion, which is why the square feels wider and flatter than the streets that lead into it.

The Cristo de los Favores

The stone cross at the centre of the square carries a crucified Christ, the Santísimo Cristo de los Favores. Neighbours of the Realejo paid for a monumental cross in 1640, in another square, and in 1682 the monument was moved to the Campo del Príncipe, a date carved into it. A restoration in 1999 gave it the look it has now. In 2003 the city awarded the Cristo its gold medal.

Read next: Before and after the show

Good Friday at the square

The square has a tradition tied to the Cristo. On Good Friday afternoon, thousands of Granadans gather around it and ask for three favours in near-total silence, a custom that Spanish Wikipedia dates to the 18th century. If your visit falls in Holy Week, the square will be busy and quiet in a way that is very different from a normal evening, so plan your arrival at the theatre with extra time.

The buildings around it

One side of the square is taken by the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura of the University of Granada, housed in the former Hospital Militar, which was once the house of the Admiral of Castile. It gives the square a long, formal side, and it is a reminder that this is a lived-in university neighbourhood and not a stage set built for visitors. The photograph here shows the building at dusk.

Why it suits a flamenco evening

A square with a stone cross at its centre, old buildings on its sides and a theatre on its edge is a good place to wait for a show. The one-hour performance leaves the rest of the evening free. You can arrive early, watch the Realejo wind down its day, and walk on afterwards. The theatre's own site advises arriving about 20 minutes early, so a short wait on the square is part of the plan.

Who this isn't for

This page is background reading, not a sightseeing plan. If you want the Alhambra, the cathedral or a full day's route through Granada, use a dedicated guide for them. The Campo del Príncipe is worth ten minutes of your time because the theatre is on it, not because it is a monument you must tick off. Spanish Wikipedia's article on the district gives the square's history and is the best place to read more about it.