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Legend has it that when the sevillanos decided to build their cathedral in the 15th century, they proclaimed their intention to erect an edifice so huge that later generations would call them mad. They achieved their aim with the largest church (by volume, not floorplan) in Christendom.

This exotic palace was primarily the brainchild of Pedro I, who had it built as a lavish love-nest for himself and his mistress, María de Padilla.

Erroneously said to be based on the house of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, this 15th-century gem is the most sumptuous of Seville’s urban mansions. It is a delightful blend of Mudéjar (Christian-Islamic), Gothic and Renaissance styles, punctuated with Classical statuary. Look for the head of the Greek boy, Antinous, who died as a teenager and was deified by his grief-stricken lover, Emperor Hadrian, in the 2nd century (see La Casa de Pilatos, Seville).

Among Spain’s finest art repositories, it is second only to the Prado in Madrid for its range of great Spanish paintings. Housed in a former 17th-century convent, the collection focuses on the Seville School, led by Zurbarán, Cano, Murillo and Valdés Leal, including Murillo’s touching Virgen de la Servilleta . Don’t miss El Greco’s poignant portrait of his son and the polychrome terracotta of St Jerome by Florentine sculptor Pietro Torregiano, a colleague of Michelangelo’s.

Now a part of Seville University, this handsome 18th-century edifice is the second-largest building in Spain, after El Escorial in Madrid. Famous for its fun-loving female workers, who at one time rolled three-quarters of Europe’s cigars, the old factory has been immortalized by Carmen , the world’s most popular opera. The doomed heroine, a hot-blooded gypsy cigarrera, remains, for many, the incarnation of Spanish passion.

This building has been the town hall since the 16th century. Inside, the rooms are decorated with historic paraphernalia of the city and the monarchy, in a blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles. Outside, the façades reflect the evolution of taste, from the original Renaissance Plateresque work with its finely carved stone-work, to the 19th-century attempt to copy the style, seen from Plaza de San Francisco.

This semicircular plaza was designed as the centrepiece for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Almost completely covered with gorgeous glazed tiles, its surfaces depict historic moments and heraldic symbols of the 40 regions of Spain. A boating canal follows the arc of the structure, crossed by colourful footbridges. The site was used as a set in the film Star Wars: Attack of the Clones , for its other-worldly feel.

This Renaissance-style pavilion was also one of the fabulous structures created for the 1929 Exposition and now houses Andalucía’s principal archaeological museum. The assemblage of artifacts ranges from Paleolithic finds, exhibited in the basement, to splendours of Roman and Moorish art, displayed on the upper floors. Outstanding are the Carambolo treasures of Tartessian gold, and the Roman sculpture collection is Spain’s most prestigious.

Tradition states that the imposing 13th-century Moorish dodecahedral (12-sided) watchtower, the Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold), is named after the golden tiles that once adorned it. Others say its name derives from its use as a warehouse for the gold coming in from the New World during Seville’s heyday. It now houses a small maritime museum. Nearby stands the Torre de Plata (Tower of Silver), a more modest octagonal tower, which most likely gets its name as a complement to its neighbour. Both towers originally formed part of the city’s defences.

This 15th-century monastery has had its ups and downs over the centuries. During Spain’s Golden Age it was the favoured retreat of Christopher Columbus, whose remains were interred here for several decades. The monks went on to decorate their vast enclave with commissions from some of Seville’s greatest artists – most of the works are now in the Museo de Bellas Artes. In 1841 it became a ceramics factory. Finally restored as part of Expo ’92, the complex is today home to a contemporary art museum.