This is where the most famous of the yearly Semana Santa processions begins and ends. Semana Santa, taking place the seven days before Easter, is a citywide social and religious party. Parades feature colorful processions of massive floats depicting religious scenes, all carried by cofradías (brotherhoods) from their churches to the Cathedral of Santa Maria. 
 
Not only is the Sevilla Cathedral the largest in Spain but many consider the vast and ornate structure to be the largest religious building in the world when using interior space as the standard. A bit of trivia: upon its completion the Cathedral supplanted Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, as the largest cathedral in the world - a title the Byzantine church had held for close to a thousand years. 
 
Like so many other things in southern Spain, the Cathedral’s foundations are purely Islamic. The Cathedral, the Giralda Tower and the adjacent Alcázar bear testimony to the civilization and sense of beauty of the Almohad Caliphate that ruled Al-Andalus (Islamic Iberia) from 1172 until the Reconquest. Sevilla was the last city in Spain to revert back to Christian rule in 1248. When one considers the relatively few years of Caliphate rule in Iberia the extent of architectural influence is astounding. A visit to Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, Valencia, Malaga and spots in between will confirm this. 
 
Where the Cathedral stands now is the exact location where the Almohade Mosque stood in the 12th and 13th centuries. Of the original mosque only the Giralda Tower and Patio Naranjos (Patio of the Oranges) remain. In 1248, shortly after the Christian army’s retaking of Sevilla, the mosque was converted to, and consecrated as, a cathedral. 
 
In 1356 a severe earthquake caused such extensive damage to the church that by 1401 construction began on the amazingly beautiful Gothic edifice we see in front of us today. As throughout much of the country, the Sevilla’s Cathedral was built to demonstrate her ever increasing wealth and power in the years after the Reconquista. These were the years of the “Golden Age” of Spain as evinced in terms of ecclesiastical power, royal sovereignty and trading power acquired through her colonies in the New World. 
 
Legend has it that the decision to build the new Gothic cathedral was finalized with the words “We shall build such a large church that those who will see it finished will consider us mad”. Toward this end for years the parish’s clergy donated fifty percent of their stipends to raise needed financing and help defray the costs of architects, artists, artisans, craftsmen, masons and laborers. 
 
Designed by Alonso Martínez, the Cathedral’s exterior was completed more than a century later in 1506. Work on the interior, with the five vast naves, continued into the early 20th century. The massive interior measures 126 meters long and 83 meters wide (413 x 272 ft.) with a ceiling height of up to 37 meters (121 ft.) Knowing that there are fifteen doors to access the interior might help you begin to imagine the size. 
 
To stand inside the Cathedral and gaze upon the flying buttresses used to distribute the weight of the ceiling and dome to the supporting piers is impressive; to stand at the top the Giralda and gaze downward on the exterior extensions of these same flying buttresses is to marvel at not only their beauty but also at the ingenuity of man’s creativity. 
 
Much of Spain’s and the New World’s more recent history is encapsulated in the history of the Cathedral. The incredibly huge gold Retablo Mayor (main altarpiece) is one. The other is the tomb of Christopher Columbus, designed and sculpted by Arturo Melida. Located near the main entrance, the sarcophagus of Columbus is carried by four large statues, representing the kingdoms of Aragón, Castille, León and Navarra. Admittedly, the tomb was originally constructed in and for the Cathedral in Havana, but when Cuba declared independence from Spain the tomb and Columbus’s remains were transferred to Sevilla.

Cathedral de Sevilla

With fifteen doors to choose from, let’s use the main one located in the center of the west façade on Avenida de la Constitution. This is the Door of Assumption. Before we walk inside take a moment to admire the intricate carving of the Assumption above the door by Ricardo Bellver over the span of twenty-one years between 1877 and 1898. Once in the Cathedral, look to the side of the door we just entered and you will see Christopher Columbus’s sarcophagus carried by the four large statues representing the kingdoms of Aragón, Castille, León and Navarra. To say the interior of the Cathedral is magnificent fails to do justice. The sheer size and grandeur of the ever-present stone is softened by the soaring dome and vaulted ceilings, immense stained glass windows and columns that seem to reach to the sky. When seen as a whole, the interplay between the parts becomes one of innate simplicity and restraint. This is hard to understand until you are actually standing inside the 11,520 square meters (124,000 square feet) of the Cathedral and can experience it firsthand. Cathedral de Sevilla might be the world’s largest cathedral – but it is one of and for the people. With five spaces and eighty chapels, this hall-like church is enormous but not intimidating. In the main body of the Cathedral the great boxlike choir loft that fills the central portion of the nave vies for attention with the world’s largest altarpiece. The Gothic Retablo Mayor (altarpiece) is literally a wall of gold at one end of the main chapel. Pierre Dancart, the Flemish artist who designed the Retablo, spent forty-four years of his life sculpting the reliefs. Begun in 1482 the altarpiece was completed in 1564 with the help of other artists. The Retablo Mayor, consisting of thirty-six gilded relief panels, depicts scenes from the Old Testament and the lives of various saints. In front of this ‘wall of gold’ is a statue of Santa Maria de la Sede, patron saint of the Cathedral. Large iron grilles, forged between 1518 and 1532, serve to separate visitors from the Retablo Mayor. It was mentioned earlier that a great deal of Spain’s and the New World’s more recent history is encapsulated in the history of the Cathedral; much of the gold used in the Retablo came from the Americas. A few of the more noteworthy chapels and worth seeing are the lavishly ornate Royal Chapel, the Chapel of St. Peter and the Chapel of St. Anthony, the latter of which contains Murillo’s The Vision of St. Anthony painted in 1656. Additional Royal Tombs of Castilian kings and queens buried during the 13th and 14th centuries can be found in the crypt under the altar. Also worth a visit is the Cathedral Museum in the main sacristy. This is where some of the most valuable paintings as well as the large silver ostensorium (monstrance) are kept. And the doors! All fifteen are worth a look if you have time. Along with the Door of the Assumption we entered, the west side of the Cathedral has the Gothic Door of Baptism created by Lorenzo Mercadante in the 15th century; the Door of Saint Michael (also known as the Door of the Nativity) by Pedro Millan. Built in the 15th century as well, it is decorated with terracotta sculptures of Saint Laurean, Saint Hermengild and the Four Evangelists. This door is used for the Holy Week processions. On the Cathedral’s north side the Door of Forgiveness allows access to the Patio de los Naranjos from Calle Alemanes. Note the horseshoe shaped arch above the door. This is the courtyard by which the faithful entered the mosque, first stopping at the central fountain to the wash their hands and feet before prayers. The stone fountain dates back to the Visigoth or possibly the Roman era. The Puerta del Lagarto (Door of the Lizard), named for the stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling, leads from the Orange Tree Courtyard. Puerta de los Palos, also known as The Door of Sticks and/or the Adoration of the Magi is near the Giralda Tower. This door has a relief depicting the Adoration of the Magi and was created by Miguel Florentín in 1520. He also designed the relief Puerta de las Campanillas showing Christ's entry intro Jerusalem. The name "Palos" or "Sticks" is due to the wooden railing which separates that area from the rest of the building.

Inside Cathedral de Sevilla

Named for the giraldillo or weather vane on its top, the Giralda was the minaret of the Almohad mosque. It was from here that Muslims were called to prayer in the 12th and 13th century. The Almohad ruler, Yousouf Yacoub al-Mansour, ordered the construction of the Giralda and he was a most resourceful man; the minaret, along with its religious and military purposes, was also designed as an observatory from which to study the planets and stars. 
 
Work began under the direction of architect, Ahmad Ben Baso, in 1184. The mathematician and astronomer, Jabir ibn Aflah, is also credited with the tower's design. Prior to completion in 1198 four brightly polished copper spheres were added to the top of the tower. The sunlight reflected from them was so brilliant that the city’s presence and power was acknowledged from miles away. Today the Giralda is considered the finest of the three remaining Almohad minarets in the world; the others are in Marrakesh and Rabat, Morocco. 
 
In 1248, under the King Alfonso X, the Christians re-conquered Sevilla (the Reconquista). There are two versions of the Giralda’s survival and both contain at least partial truths. The Muslims so greatly revered their minaret they threatened to tear it down brick by brick in the face of impending subjugation. Alfonso countered with the warning, “If they remove a single stone, they will all be put to the sword.” The other version is that, upon seeing the minaret for the first time, the king was in such awe of its beauty he demanded it have full protection prior to his entering the city. Whichever version is more accurate - the tower remained intact and was added to the cathedral in 1402. 
 
What we know today as the Giralda is, in fact, a combination of the former minaret – the first two thirds of the tower or the segment below the bells - is the original Almohad minaret. Its simple beauty derives from the shadows formed by blocks of brick trellis work, different on each side, and a succession of arched niches and windows. The upper third, built in Spanish Renaissance style, was added when the Cathedral was rebuilt. The original copper spheres that topped the minaret were destroyed in an earthquake in 1356 and replaced in 1400 with the cross and bell of Christianity. Despite the Renaissance additions, the Giralda remains one of the most beautiful monuments of the Islamic world. 
 
Between the years 1560 and 1568 four more levels, topped by an Italian bronze sculpture of "Faith" were added under the supervision of Cordovan architect, Hernán Ruiz. This newer section of the tower contains a large inscription of Seville's motto, “NO8DO” meaning "Sevilla has not abandoned me." Now you know what that strange notation you’ve seen throughout the city means. 
 
The tower's interior rooms now display artifacts from the mosque and the earlier Christian church that predates the current Gothic cathedral. Among the items on view are a door from the 14th century and the tombstone of Petrus de la Cera, who helped conquer Seville in 1248. Gargoyles and intricate stone work adorn the interior walls of the tower. 
 
Once one of the tallest religious structures in the world; today the Giralda remains a beacon of antiquity and culture in Andalucía.

The Giralda Tower

The second UNESCO World Heritage site we are visiting is Sevilla’s Real Alcázar or Royal Palace. Possibly the finest surviving example of architecture from the Moorish period, entering the Alcázar is like traveling back in time and space after rubbing a genii’s magic lamp. We’ll enter through the Puerta del León just across the plaza from the Cathedral and Giralda. The Alcázar, a magnificent complex of patios and halls in different architectural styles from Mudéjar to Gothic, was built to control the Guadalquivir River thus giving access to the sea. At the heart of the complex is the Palace of Pedro I, who, in 1354, constructed his royal residence at the site of the earlier Moorish palace. A bit of history first… When the Moorish dynasty of Almohades (Berber Muslims from Morocco) gained control of Sevilla in 1181 they embarked on a building frenzy constructing a number of baths, towers, a grand mosque and Al-Muwarak (The Blessed), the fortress-like palace we know today as the Alcázar. The spacious and airy arched halls, the stunning inlaid tiles throughout, the fountain filled gardens are pure Muslim in design. When Pedro I commissioned construction of his royal palace after the Reconquista (1364), he wisely decreed the original structure be left intact and added to rather than razed. Andalusian craftsmen recreated the interior in pure Mudéjar style with focus on the open air patios. Over the ensuing years, other monarchs continued to expand the palace resulting in the melding of Moorish and Gothic architectural styles we see today. The upper level of the palace is still used by Spain’s Royal Family as their official Sevilla residence; a fact that makes the Alcázar the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe today. When we entered the Alcázar through the Puerta del León it was impossible to miss the heraldic lion set in the crenelated defensive wall. From the Lion’s Patio we passed through a triple arch into the courtyard of the Patio de la Montería which borders the original Palacio Pedro I. Inside the heart of the Alcázar we enter Patio de las Doncellas, the main courtyard of the palace. Here was the center of public life during Pedro I’s reign. The name, Courtyard of the Maidens, refers to the legend that the Moors annually demanded a hundred virgins as tribute from the Christian kingdoms in Iberia. Lavish reception rooms are located on the sides of the patio; in the center is a large, rectangular reflecting pool with sunken gardens on either side. The upper level, designed by Luis de Vega in a combination of Italian Renaissance and Mudéjar styles, was commissioned by Charles V in 1540 and completed in 1572. Let’s move into the Salón de Embajadores considered to be the most magnificent part of the complex. Used for ceremonial events, the intricately decorated archways with horseshoe arches gives access to a vast hall covered with a stunning dome adorned with gilded cedar wood sculptures. Diego Ruiz, a Sevillana artisan designed the ceiling in 1389. Directly below the dome is a frieze with portraits of Spanish kings. Next is Patio de las Muñecas where much of the private life took place during Pedro’s reign. A relatively small hall, it is enclosed with marble columns and lobed arches and leads to what were bedrooms and additional private quarters. Patio del Yeso, with its beautiful ornate flower garden and streams, it is very representative of the 12th century Almohade style. Peek into the Patio de la Montera where the Court would meet before hunts. Just west of this is the Cuarto del Admirante, headquarters of the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade); it was here that navigators planned their journeys to the Americas. The Sala de Audiencias is where Columbus met with Ferdinand and Isabella after his second voyage. Hanging here is Alejo Fernández’ painting, Virgen de los Mareantes, (Virgin of the Sailors) done during the 1530s and one of the first paintings to illustrate the discovery of the Americas. Wander through the Hall of the Kings and the Hall of Charles V. The Salones de Carlos V is a Gothic vaulted hall decorated with tapestries and azulejos from the 16th century. Hours and Days of Operation for the Alcázar: October 1-March 31: 7 days a week from 9:30am to 5pm (17.00); April 1st-September 30: 7 days a week from 9:30am to 7:30pm (19.30) Admission to the Alcázar: Adults 9.50€; pensioners and students between 17-25 years: 2€; 16 and under free.

Royal Alcázar de Sevilla

In 1420 Sevilla was one of the largest international financial powers of the time and the city’s prosperity grew following the discovery of the New World in 1492. For the next two hundred years Sevilla was the designated capital of the Carrera de Indias (the Indies route, a Spanish trading monopoly with Latin America). As such the city was the "Gateway to the Indies" and the sole trading port with the Indies between 1503 and 1718. 
 
The Archivo de Indias was constructed in 1585 to house the Casa Lonja or Consulado de Mercaderes de Sevilla (Consulate of Merchants). In 1785, on the orders of King Charles III, it became the Archivo General de Indias which today houses the greatest collection of documentation concerning the discovery of, and relations with, the New World. 
 
As a research library, the Archivo contains over 80 million pages that comprise some 43,000 original documents that cover three centuries and reach from Spain to the Philippines and from Tierra de Fuego north. Within its walls are every official document; letter; map; ship's manifest, and drawings from the time of the discovery and conquest of the Americas. Letters from Columbus to Queen Isabel along with his personal journal; maps of the new world, artifacts and drawings of what the conquistadores found are on display as is Pope Alexander VI’s Bull of Demarcation dividing the world between Spain and Portugal. 
 
Designed by Juan de Herrera, the architect responsible for completing El Escorial, the Archivo de Indias is among the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture and perfectly embodies the links between the Old and New World. Over the centuries a second floor was added along with a stunning 18th century marble staircase and the Cruz del Juramento (Oath Cross) in front of the entrance. Built around a large central patio, the building is surmounted by a balustrade with obelisks at the corners. Bare of any sculptural decoration, the beauty of the design is in the discreetly contrasting tones of stone and stucco.

Archivo General de Indias

Sevilla has so much to offer the visitor that we have created two tours that work as a unit so you can experience the city without rushing from spot to spot. This portion, our Sevilla World Heritage Sites tour, begins and ends in Plaza Virgen de los Reyes. The plaza is located in Barrio Santa Cruz on the side closest to the Guadalquivir River. From wherever you are, look skyward; the Cathedral and Giralda Tower are landmarks that make navigating easy and both are visible from any spot in the city. Three of the most famous spots in the world are centered on, or immediately adjacent to, Plaza Virgen de los Reyes so that is where we are headed. Gaze in awe and perhaps light a candle in the magnificent Sevilla Cathedral; walk up the Giralda Tower for the most incredible views of Sevilla; explore the mysteries of El Real Alcázar (the royal palace and gardens), and discover hidden treasures in the Archivo de Indias. You'll find yourself amazed that so much history from three civilizations is located side-by-side and within mere footsteps of each other. When you are ready for a break there are any number of delightful cafés, bars and restaurants in the vicinity so take your time and experience the wonders of Sevilla as Spaniards do. Relax in the orange blossom laden air, enjoy a café con leche or an icy cold Manzanilla, (Spanish for chamomile), the superb very distinctive fino (very dry) sherry while dining on some of the best food in the country. Food in Sevilla begins with fresh so eating healthy is almost unavoidable. The best way to find a good spot is to look for places where the locals outnumber the visitors. You can listen to all the stories on the web but the best and most comprehensive experience includes GPS navigation and can be found at izi.TRAVEL app. Just as a reminder: each stop along the walk is indicated by the attraction name and number. The relevant section will be played automatically when you get to the stop but you always can play it manually. Used together, both tours will guide you through one of the most vibrant and wonderful cities in Spain. This traveler’s hint – never be without your camera! Just ask Denise Marie Shea of Tampa, Florida or me. Fluent in Spanish, Denise has made numerous trips to Spain, the Azores, San Salvador and Puerto Rico – always with camera in hand. She has graciously shared many of her personal photos for this tour; my photographic contributions are far fewer than hers. ( http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/denise-shea.html ) And now it is time to get to know one of the most incredible cities on earth!

Sevilla World Heritage Sites 

Seville

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Seville

Sevilla World Heritage Sites

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