DK Travel : Andalucía and Costa del Sol : Real Alcázar, Seville

Real Alcázar, Seville

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This extensive complex embodies a series of palatial rooms and spaces in various styles and from various ages. The front towers and walls constitute the oldest surviving section, dating from AD 913 and built by the Emir of Córdoba, Abd el-Rahman III, most likely on the ruins of Roman barracks. A succession of caliphs added their dazzling architectural statements over the ensuing centuries. Then came the Christian kings, particularly Pedro I the Cruel (or the Just) in the 14th century, and finally the rather perfunctory 16th-century apartments of Carlos V. Much of the structure underwent major modifications as recently as the 18th century, due to earthquake damage.
For more alcázars in Andalucía (see Alcázares, Palacios and Castillos) Mudéjar architecture is a blend of Moorish building styles and Christian themes and imagery.

Top 10 Features

1. Puerta del León

1. Puerta del León

The entrance gate into the first courtyard is flanked by original Almohad walls. Note the Gothic and Arabic inscriptions on the interior façade.
2. Sala de Justicia

Here and in adjacent halls and courts is some of the purest Mudéjar art to be found, commissioned by Alfonso XI of Castile around 1330 and executed by craftsmen from Granada. The star-shaped coffered ceiling and fine plasterwork are quite exquisite.
3. Patio del Yeso

3. Patio del Yeso

The secluded Court of Plaster, greatly restored, is one of the few remnants of the 12th-century palace. The delicate stucco work features scalloped arches and is set off by a shady garden with water channels.
4. Patio de la Montería

The Hunting Courtyard has 14th-century Mudéjar decorative work – a perfect synthesis of differing cultural influences.
5. Casa de la Contratación

These halls are where Fernando and Isabel met with the explorers of the New World.
6. Patio de las Doncellas

The Court of the Maidens commemorates the annual tribute of 100 virgins delivered to the Moorish rulers by the Christians. The azulejos (tiles) are fine examples of Granada craftsmanship.
7. Salón de Embajadores

The most brilliant room in the entire Alcázar. Its crowning glory is the dazzling dome of carved, painted and gilded wood , inscribed in Arabic as having been constructed by craftsmen from Toledo and completed in 1366.
8. Patio de las Muñecas

The intimate Court of the Dolls was the living room of the palace and is named after two faces carved into the base of one of the arches.
9. Palacio Gótico

9. Palacio Gótico

In a refurbished 13th-century Gothic structure built by Alfonso X the Wise, this palace has a rather inharmonious Renaissance styling.
10. Gardens

Moorish touches are everywhere among these tranquil pathways and copses. Fountains, pools, lemon and orange groves, palms and hedgerows extend in all directions.

Practical Information

The Alcázar has a flow-control entry system whereby limited numbers of people are allowed in every half hour. To avoid long waits, visit at off-peak times. Patio de Banderas 954 50 23 23 www.patronatoalcazarsevilla.es Open Apr–Sep: 9:30am–7pm Tue–Sat, 9:30am–5pm Sun; Oct–Mar: 9:30am–5pm Tue–Sat, 9:30am– 1:30pm Sun Adm €5.00