The church of the Monasterio de la Cartuja is where Spanish late-Baroque hits its lavish heights. It was begun in the 16th century and building continued for another three centuries; it was never completed.
The Carthusian monks that lived in the Monasterio de la Cartuja lived a humble life. They practiced silence, ate simple vegetarian fare and spent their time praying, studying, working and making rosary beads from rose petals (you can still buy these from the souvenir shop). But their low-key lifestyle must have been made up for by the wild profusion of their surroundings.
The exterior of the Monasterio de la Cartuja is plain enough, but once inside, the eye is fed on cream and brown swirls of edible-looking marble, a courtyard paved in patterned stone, ornate carvings and of course, gilt gilt and more gilt!
