Arriving in Granada, the governor of the fabulous Moorish Palace of the Alhambra lets them stay there (Irving is a celebrity and later becomes the American ambassador to Spain), yet duty soon compels the Russian diplomat to go back to Madrid.An old man Mateo Jimenez, ' a son of the Alhambra', he has lived there always with a few others, tells stories of buried lost treasure underneath the buildings, secret chambers, the three princesses imprisoned by their father the King in a lonely tower, countless legends and myths the guide knows and recites them, believes too. The magical party comes to a much too quick end, the whole village had watched but they have to leave in the morning. Stopping at an inn, watching pretty girl dancers move around skillfully, later playing their ubiquitous guitars and singing wonderfully, the crowd eating, drinking everyone showing the 'grandees' a good time, the two buy liquor for all. The mostly deserted territory has a beautiful ambiance, but melancholic mood too the travelers take siestas on the ground, the people are respectful of strangers and Sancho tells all that these foreign men are very important, which amuses Mr.Irving who speaks Spanish. He boasts the Spaniard nicknamed Sancho, an alias he enjoys ( this is the land of the renowned Don Quixote), his rifle raised high above his head that no bandits will threaten them in their journey, but keeps it safely unloaded and behind his back. In the spring of 1829 Washington Irving America's first great writer, with an unnamed low - ranking Russian diplomat, a new friend begins a leisurely expedition on horseback from Seville to Granada, a young guide takes them through the Andalusian mountains. This book survives because of Irving's ability to recreate a beautiful and romantic past for the ever elegant Alhambra Palace. 'Tales of the Alhambra' was published in 1832 and has been in continous print. They are charming tales clearly inspired by Miguel Cervantes. The second half of 'Tales of the Alhambra' is a collection of romantic tales inspired by the Alhambra's Moorish and Spanish past. In that work, Cervantes interjected long romantic tales into the middle of the narrative.

As a young man, Washington Iriving was inspired to learn Spanish after having read Miguel Cervantes' 'Don Quixote'. One can only imagine Irving's influence in shaping the Orientalist craze that played out in the Nineteenth Century European art. His beautifully detailled descriptions of the deteriorating palace and its inhabitants fit well within the romantic vision that was beginning to sweep Europe. Irving was permitted to reside within the palace grounds. The first section chronicles Irvings 1829 visit to the crumbling Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Washington Irving's 'Tales of the Alhambra' is really two books in one.

Tales of the alhambra