Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta is a Carmen villa renowned for its extraordinary architecture and all-white interiors. In 1916, painter José María Rodríguez-Acosta constructed this traditional house as a studio. It has beautiful rooms filled with historic-artistic objects that give a glimpse of the painter's cosmopolitan and refined taste. There's also a work studio and beautiful gardens with columns, sculptures, and fountains.
Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta is situated on Mauror Hill, below the Alhambra, and is considered an architectural marvel. It is a lovely expression of the artistic talents and aspirations of painter José María Rodríguez-Acosta. This discrete white building has been decorated with objects from around the world. Its minimalistic glassy design and incredible façade give it a unique elegance and charm. It borrows inspiration from different architectural genres, including Nasrid, art deco, Greek and baroque.
The rooms are filled with many artistic pieces, including ivory creations, Buddha busts, Persian rugs, Greco-Roman and Iberian artworks, sculptures, jewels, and the first film projector from the twentieth century. Some of the masterpiece works by artist Rodríguez-Acosta are hung on the walls of the rooms. It has beautiful gardens with Palomino frescoes, ponds, statues, and paintings from Bocanegra. You can enjoy a guided tour of the building, which is part of our Europe tour package from India, and see different subterranean tunnels, courtyards, and the museum that features Granada historian Manuel Gomez-Moreno Martinez's private collection.
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Highlights
• Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta served as the studio and home of artist José María Rodríguez-Acosta.
• Painter José María Rodríguez-Acosta designed it in an attempt to recreate Arnold Böcklin's masterpiece painting 'Island of The Dead'.
• The building was meant to have two towers and a central patio, but the results were not achieved, and hence architect Ricardo Santa Cruz was dismissed.
• Giménez Lacal was then appointed for the construction of the building, and he succeeded in bringing to life the image that Rodríguez Acosta had in his mind.
• The building displays a mixture of Nasrid and Greek-Roman architectural styles.
• In 1982, Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta was declared a National Historic Monument and the Pride of Granada.
• There are many galleries underground, running through Mauror hill's inner part.
How To Reach
By Bus: From Plaza Nueva, take the minibus Alhambra Bus route C32 and C30 and get down at Carmen de Los Martires bus stop. From the bus stop, you'll have to walk for around five minutes to reach Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta.
By Car: You can book a taxi/cab to reach Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta from any part of the city. If you're coming by your own car, park your car at the Alhambra parking area.
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Best Time To Visit
- The opening hour is the best time to visit Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta as the crowd is less, and you can explore the attraction without any hassle.
- During the holidays and weekends, the attraction is jam-packed. So if you want to explore the attraction without a huge rush, weekdays are recommended.
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Other Essential Information
Tips to Visit Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta
- Pre-reserve the tickets in advance to book your spot on the desired day and time.
- Come early to the attraction so that you can explore the different areas before the masses show up.
- You can book the special tour if you want to have a more comprehensive visit since it includes the painter's study and library.
- While touring the garden, don't forget to have breathtaking views of Granada from lookout points at different heights.
- The tour of the Carmen won't be complete if you don't explore the maze of subterranean galleries hidden below the garden area.
- Avoid visiting the attraction during the summer (June to August) as the days are very hot and sunny, and it would be uncomfortable to explore the gardens in the scorching heat.
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Garden
Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta features a beautiful garden that has been split into two parts; one half is dedicated to the feminine, dominated by female sculptures and a pond, and the other half is dedicated to the masculine, dominated by cypresses, male sculptural figures, and monumental columns. The vision of the garden is inspired by Arnold Böcklin's famous painting "Island of The Dead'', which represents a shadow landscape on an island with antic columns, rock walls, and cypresses. The garden also features hidden tunnels, pools, fountains, and different patios at diverse levels. It also has terraces looking out over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Granada's fertile plain.
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The Rodríguez-Acosta Museum
Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta has a small museum that exhibits many hidden treasures and magnificent art pieces. You can see here religious paintings from the fifteenth century, small ancient stone carved figurines, and Roman and Greek pottery. Its splendid collection includes the artistic and archaeological legacy of Moreno Martinez- Manuel Gomez, the legacy of the Rodriguez-Acosta family, and the impressive work of the painter and artist Manuel Maldonado Rodriguez. The museum also houses an important collection of animal and human exvotos fabricated from iron found in nearby excavations.
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Study and library
The study and library of painter José María Rodríguez-Acosta are the main attractions of the building. In the study, you can see an unfinished painting that the painter was working on when he died at the age of 62 from a sudden illness. It also features a nude piece of a sleeping woman that the artist painted in his final years. The library has various archaeological and artistic collections and archives about the life of José María Rodríguez-Acosta.
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Tourism Board Alliances
Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta FAQs
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