My trip to Sevilla

After more than two months since my journey to Seville I have decided to write something about that interesting trip. It was not so much an enjoyable experience as an interesting one due to the fact that I travelled alone. Nevertheless, I had the opportunity to know the city from a very cultural point of view, even – to some extent – from a historical point of view. In this paper I intend to recount something about the most interesting and significant things about the city.

The centre of the city is monumental and is more important and spectacular than I imagined. The two most important buildings in the centre are the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede de Sevilla (more simply, the Cathedral of Seville) and the Alcázar (a fortress, or palace). Around them there are a number of important buildings such as the Archivo de Indias (Amerindian Archive), some civic offices and churches.

Everybody knows the Giralda, the tower of the Cathedral. This tower corresponds to the minaret of the Almohad (Muslim) mosque that was located in the same place before the current Gothic building was constructed there. The upper part of the tower is in the Renaissance style and the Giraldillo is found there. A reproduction of it can be seen at the entrance door of San Cristóbal. The word giralda comes from the Spanish word girar (to turn or to go around) and it means weather vane of a tower which has a human or animal form. With the passing of time, the giralda became the name for the whole tower and since then the figure which crowns it is known as the Giraldillo (literally, a little Giralda).

In the Almohad period, Seville was the capital of the Iberian Peninsula and lots of great buildings were constructed at that time. The mosque was one of them. Some years later, during the Mudejar period, the Muslim mosque was used as a Christian building. A similar development took place in Córdoba. The construction of the new Gothic cathedral in Seville took place because of the bad preservation of the former building following the earthquake of 1356. A decision was taken in 1401 and the works started in 1402 and lasted until 1506 (the first phase). The tower or Giralda was preserved and also the Patio de los Naranjos (courtyard of the orange trees).

Several alterations have been made to the Cathedral in later periods: Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical and during the 19th & 20th Century (Neogothic). During the Renaissance period, the Sacristía Mayor (main sacristy), the Sala Capitular (chapter house) and the Capilla Real (royal chapel) were added to the Renaissance building. The Iglesia del Sagrario (Church of the tabernacle) was added in the Baroque period. This is an independent church, annexed to the cathedral, which is linked to it.

The Cathedral of Seville is the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world and also the third biggest Christian temple in the world. Nevertheless, on the list of the longest cathedrals in the Vatican Basilica, the Cathedral of Seville appears in eight place.

One of the most spectacular elements of the Cathedral is the altar and its altarpiece (retablo in Spanish). This altarpiece is covered with gold and is one of the richest in the world. This gold came from America when Seville had a monopoly of trade with this continent.

The Royal Alcazars of Seville is a complex of royal palaces, which were built during several periods of history – resulting in a mixture of styles in the same building: Islamic, Mudéjar, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Mudéjar is the style of the Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Christian territory after the Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity. This is a uniquely Spanish style.

This palace has been used as a residence for the Spanish Royal family since 1248, after the conquest of the city by Fernando III, the father of Alfonso X the Wise. I think this is the most ancient royal residence in Spain.

The Patio del Yeso (Plaster Patio) is the only part of the primitive and original Islamic palace preserved today. Likewise, this building was constructed on an old Roman and Visigothic settlement. In 1254, Alfonso X reformed and made the first alterations to the Islamic palace by building some Gothic halls. Finally, in 1364, Pedro I of Castilla constructed the Mudéjar Palace on a site where no previous buildings existed. Some elements of Gothic style, such as the chapel, were built later.

Perhaps the Mudéjar palace is the most astonishing or impressive part of the Alcázar since it is where the most ornamental and rich constructions in the Mudéjar style are preserved. It is the most complete example of Mudéjar architecture in Spain. The most prominent elements are the Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens), the main courtyard, and the dome of the Sala de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors), also called Salón de la media naranja (the hall of the half orange), due to the form and colour of the dome. It is really wonderfully impressive.

The Gothic palace was built by King Alfonso X in 1254 and was used as his court. Its most prominent parts are the chapel and the Salón de los Tapices (Hall of the Tapestries). These tapestries constitute a very important example of Flemish art and represent the Conquest of Tunis by Emperor Carlos. Part of the Gothic palace has Baroque elements that were added after the Lisbon earthquake in 1755.

The Renaissance section constitutes the Cuarto del Almirante (Room of the Admiral) and the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade). It was constructed by Isabel the Catholic after the discovery of America in 1503. The Casa de Contratación was the organism which regulated relations with America (the Indies). Some very important journeys, such as the First Trip Around the World by Magallanes, were planned there. The Casa de Contratación was moved to Cádiz in 1717. In 1793 the rooms of the Seville building which had housed this institution until then were integrated into the Alcázar set of buildings. In 1964 a part of this house was demolished. The most impressive element of the remaining buildings is a very rich Renaissance ceiling in the Sala de Audiencias (Hall of Audiences), which contains many geometrical ornaments and later became a chapel.

Numerous gardens complete the Alcázar complex, which includes several buildings. The most important elements included in these gardens are the Fuente de Neptuno (Spring of Neptune) and a hydraulic organ which reproduces some pieces of music every hour. It is a very curious instrument and there are very few examples of it in the world. The only other hydraulic organ I can remember seeing is in another palace, the name of which I can’t remember, in Austria. The sensation of listening to the organ in the middle of those big gardens is very pleasant and relaxing.