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Washington Irving

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The Alhambra: A Series of Tales and

Sketches of the Moors and Spaniards
by Washington Irving (1783-1859)

During a trip to Spain in 1828, Washington Irving
visited the ancient Moorish city of Granada. At first
sight, he described it as "a most picturesque and
beautiful city, situated in one of the loveliest
landscapes that I have ever seen." He immediately
asked the governor of the historic Alhambra Palace as
well as the archbishop of Granada for access to the
palace, which was granted because of Irving's celebrity status. Aided by a
35-year old guide named Mateo Ximenes, Irving was inspired by his
experience to write Tales of the Alhambra. Throughout his trip, he filled his
notebooks and journals with descriptions and observations, though he did
not believe his writing would ever do it justice. He wrote, "How unworthy is
my scribbling of the place." A commemorative plaque in Spanish at the
Alhambra reads, "Washington Irving wrote his Tales of Alhambra in these
rooms in 1829". The book was instrumental in reintroducing the Alhambra to
Western audiences. (Wikipedia)

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LibriVox

acoustical liberation of books
in the public domain

Total running time: 10:57:16
Read by David Wales

Cover design: Kathryn Delaney

Cover art: Edwin Weeks, A Court in the Alhambra in the
Time of the Moors (detail), 1876

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