DK Travel : Andalucía and Costa del Sol : Seville Cathedral & La Giralda

Seville Cathedral & La Giralda

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In 1248, after some 500 years of Islamic culture, Seville was reconquered by Christian forces, who paradoxically threatened the Moorish inhabitants with full-scale massacre if they damaged any of the city’s magnificent edifices. Pragmatically, the conquerors simply rededicated the huge Almohad mosque to the Virgin and for about 150 years used it as their principal place of worship. In 1401, however, the momentous decision was taken to demolish the then mouldering building and erect a new cathedral of unprecedented proportions on its enormous rectangular base. In just over a century, the structure was complete, the renowned minaret now serving as the belltower.
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Top 10 Features

1. Exterior and Scale

In sheer cubic vastness, Seville Cathedral is the largest Christian church in the world, and there’s a certificate from the Guinness Book of Records on display here to prove it. It measures 126 m (415 ft) by 83 m (270 ft) and the nave rises to 43 m (140 ft). The best place to take it all in is from La Giralda.
2. Puerta del Perdón

The “Gate of Pardon” is set in a crenellated wall and is the main entrance to the only surviving section of the mosque. The arch and bronze-covered doors are a masterpiece of Almohad art, carved with 880 Koranic inscriptions. There are also sculpted Renaissance elements, most notably a bas-relief depicting the Expulsion of the Money-changers from the Temple.
3. Patio de los Naranjos

The Courtyard of Orange Trees was the place where ritual ablutions were performed before entering the mosque for prayer.
4. Biblioteca Colombina

4. Biblioteca Colombina

The library of ancient manuscripts is also an archive of Columbus’s life (see Discovery of America) and his letters. It was founded by the explorer’s son, himself an avid adventurer; he bequeathed more than 20,000 volumes of his travels to the city when he died in 1539.
5. Interior

Inside the cathedral the Gothic arches are so high that the building is said to have its own independent climate.
6. Capilla Mayor

The main altar’s tour de force is its 15th-century retablo , which is the world’s largest altar-piece . Composed of gilded carved wood, it boasts some 45 Biblical scenes employing some 1,000 figures.
7. Sacristía de los Cálices

Part of the cathedral’s treasury is housed here. The anteroom displays the Tenebrario, a 7.8-m (25-ft) Plateresque candelabrum used during Holy Week. Inside, the star turns are a painting by Goya of Seville’s patron saints, Justa and Rufina, as well as canvases by Zurbarán, Jordaens and other Masters.
8. Sacristía Mayor

8. Sacristía Mayor

The Main Sacristy is dominated by a dome , designed in the 16th century. The centre-piece of the sacristy is a 450-kg (990-lb), 3-m (10-ft) silver Baroque monstrance created by Juan de Arfe.
9. Sala Capitular

The Chapter House contains Murillo’s Immaculate Conception in the vault and boasts a lavish marble floor.
10. La Giralda

This grand tower is the symbol of Seville, built between 1172 and 1195. It takes its name from the weathervane on top, called El Giraldillo .

Practical Information

For excellent tapas , you can’t do better than Bar España, a short walk from the cathedral. Note that the climb up La Giralda is fairly easygoing thanks to the 35 broad ramps, designed to accommodate a man on horseback. The unparalleled view makes it well worth the ascent. Plaza Virgen de los Reyes 954 21 49 71 www.catedralsevilla.org Open 11am–5pm Mon–Sat, 2:30pm–6pm Sun (Jul & Aug: 9:30am– 3:30pm) Services 8:30am, 9am, 10am, noon, 5pm Mon–Sat; 11am, noon, 1pm, 5pm, 6pm Sun Adm €6.00 (free Sun)