Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, ordered the palace within the Alhambra, and construction began in 1527. Pedro Machuca designed it after training under Michelangelo in Rome. When he died in 1550, his son Luis finished the facades and built the inner courtyard. The Morisco Rebellion of 1568 halted work for about 15 years, and the project was abandoned in 1637, leaving the building roofless.
The plan is square, about 207 feet (63 m) across, with a circular patio inside. The exterior uses the Tuscan order below and Ionic above. Portals use stone from Sierra Elvira.
The article says it was never a royal residence. Restoration began under Leopoldo Torres Balbás after 1923, and the roof was completed in 1967. It now houses the Alhambra Museum and the Fine Arts Museum of Granada.
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