The Tower of the Princesses (Torre de las infantas) is a clear example of the contrast between the plain decoration found outside and the rich architecture and decoration of the inside. From the simple exterior volume of this tower with a plain wall with two window spaces, however the inside of the tower shows a complex volume to the distribution of the spaces and the rich decoration of the tiles, plasterwork and vaults. In a small interior space is concentrated ab incredible decoration of architectural complexity. It is an example of the skills of the nasrid architecture to get the most of use of the interior space.

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September’s Museum Piece of the Month is the 19th-century spout of the Fountain of the Lions. Every Saturday in August, from noon onwards, art historian Javier Serrano Espinosa will analyse the peculiarities of this interesting piece in Room IV of the Museum of the Alhambra, as part of this free programme offered by Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife (PAG).

The well-known Fountain of the Lions is located in the centre of Courtyard of Riyad al Said, to which it gives its alternative name of the Courtyard of the Lions. The amendments made to the lions and fountain bowl down through the centuries include the addition in the early 19th century of a third part, in the shape of a high spout, elevating the fountain above the level of the vegetation that covered the courtyard from 1807 onward.

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