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The Royal Chapel of Granada, commissioned by the Catholic Monarchs in 1504 as their burial place and memorial, preserves one of the most notable collections of Flemish painting in Spain. Comprising more than 30 small-format panels, with the exception of the Triptych of the Passion, it reflects Queen Isabella the Catholic’s deep religiosity and her affinity for Marian devotion and the Passion of Christ. 

The collection includes works by early Flemish masters such as Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Dieric Bouts, and Jan Provost, as well as anonymous pieces of remarkable quality. All of these paintings, devotional in nature, were part of the queen’s personal legacy and accompanied her burial as an expression of her piety.  

Over the centuries, the works have been carefully preserved and are on display in the sacristy-museum, where they are exhibited alongside liturgical objects, books, and relics. The Triptych of the Passion by Dieric Bouts stands out as a centerpiece of the collection. Recent research has re-evaluated the collection, which is offering crucial insights into the art collecting of royal women in fifteenth-century Europe. 

Manuel Javier García Jiménez-Vela, Historian of the Royal Chapel of Granada (June 2025)