Tales of the Alhambra Tales of the Alhambra Tales of the Alhambra is a collection of essays, verbal sketches, and stories by Washington Irving. Shortly after completing a biography of Christopher Columbus in 1828, Washington Irving travelled from Madrid, where he had been staying, to Granada, Spain. At first sight, he described it as "a most picturesque and beautiful city, situated in one of the loveliest landscapes that I have ever seen." Irving was preparing a book called "A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada", a history of the years 1478–1492, and was continuing his research on the topic. He immediately asked the then-governor
Tales of the Alhambra essays and short fiction pieces, it was referred to as his "Spanish "Sketch Book"". Shortly after the book's publication, Irving returned to New York after a 17-year absence from the United States. In 1851 Irving wrote an "Author's Revised Edition", also titled "Tales of the Alhambra". The book was instrumental in reintroducing the Alhambra to Western audiences. A plaque now marks the rooms in which Irving stayed while writing some of his book. Alexander Pushkin's 1834 tale in verse "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel" is based on two chapters of "Tales of the Alhambra". In turn, the Pushkin poem