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DESTINATIONS & ARCHITECTURE
In the gardens of the Alhambra, one senses the origin of the Andalusian patio, where water, greenery, and geometry foreshadow a tradition still alive today
Ancient Roots and Living
Heritage
The origin of the patio as the heart of
the home predates the Andalusia we
know today. It goes back to the Ro-
man domus, where the central implu-
vium collected rainwater and organi-
sed life inside. During al-Andalus,
the Muslims took up this structure
and elevated it: with gardens, foun-
tains, pools, and a constant concern
for coolness and beauty. The Quran
extolled the garden as an image of
paradise, and the Andalusi patios
turned this into architecture.
With the arrival of the Renaissance
and later the Baroque, the model
evolved, but never disappeared. In
Córdoba, Seville, Granada, Jaén, or
Cádiz, the patio became a constant
urban feature. It could be humble
or grand, enclosed or with a gallery,
with a well or a fountain, but it always
kept its purpose: to allow life to turn
inwards, around light and silence.
Geometry of Coolness
Patio houses are usually organised
around a square or rectangular core.
This central space structures the
home, generates cross-ventilation,
and naturally regulates the interior
temperature during the hottest mon-
ths. The rooms open onto the patio,
with corridors, arcades, or simple
doors leading to daily domestic life,
protected from the noise outside.
Water and plants play an essential
role here. A fountain or a basin is not
just decoration: it cools and creates
a serene atmosphere. Pots—es-
pecially geraniums, pelargoniums,
bougainvilleas, and jasmines—hang
from the whitewashed walls, acting
as sponges for moisture and colour.
The floors, made of stone, clay, or
cobbles, help to retain the coolness
gathered during the night and in-
sulate against the heat of the day.
Everything follows a precise, almost
scientific climatic logic, whose value
is now being rediscovered in a world
that is once again appreciating tradi-
tional energy efficiencyl.
Córdoba: The Soul
of the Patio
Córdoba has elevated this tradition
to the status of a living, everyday art
form. Since 1921, the city has ce-
lebrated its famous Festival of the
Patios, declared an Intangible Cultu-
ral Heritage of Humanity by UNES-
CO. For two weeks in May, dozens
of private patios—many in humble
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