This was our first time in Southern Spain. I always thought it will be magic, based on the photos I’ve seen before, but it is so much more than I expected! The mixture of cultures is very visible here. The Real Alcazar and the Plaza de España are totally amazing. It is very hard to select only a few photos from Sevilla but here are some photos from our city walks, Real Alcazar, La Giralda and the Cathedral, Iglesia del Divino Salvador, and Las Setas de Sevilla.
Out and about
Real Alcazar
Real Alcazar has a long and very complex history and it combines various cultures. It is really beautiful and one of the best places I have ever visited.
Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador
La Giralda and the Cathedral of Seville
The Cathedral of Seville is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Since the conquest of the city, on November 23, 1248, the building of the Almohad Mosque was converted into the cathedral of the archdiocese of the Kingdom of Seville. It is now the third largest Christian temple in the world, after St Peter in Rome and St Paul’s in London. Its construction was carried out in several phases over more than 500 years, resulting in a mixture of several architectural styles.
The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral. It its day, it was the tallest tower in the world, standing at 97.5 m in height, in addition to being one of the most famous images of the city and Andalusia. The tower consists of two different but perfectly unified pieces, a perfect example of the crucible of cultures existing in the city.
The Muslim body is the oldest part, started in 1184 by order of Abu Yaqub Yusuf to be the minaret of the Almohad mosque of Seville. The Giralda does not have stairs, but instead has 35 ramps wide enough to allow the Sultan to ascend mounted on horseback to see the beautiful view.
In the 17th century, the current Christian part, the bell tower that tops the tower, was added by the architect Hernán Ruiz. The top of the tower is the “Lily section” which has four jars of bronze lilies, one on each corner. And above this, there is still another section in a more Renaissance style. On December 29, 1928, it was declared a National Heritage site, added to the list of Heritage of Humanity sites.
Giralda
Plaza de España
Very beautiful space, attached to a park. Plaza de España was designed by the Seville architect Aníbal González as an emblematic space for the 1929 Ibero-American Expo. It has a total area of 50,000 square metres. Along the entire perimeter of the plaza, there is a canal of 515 metres in length.
Las Setas de Sevilla
Impressive massive wood structure created by German architect Jürgen Mayer. It measures 150 x 70 metres and is approximately 26 metres high. The structure consists of six large, mushroom-shaped parasols, whose design is inspired by the arches of Seville’s cathedral and the ¨ficus¨ of nearby Plaza del Cristo de Burgos. The upper level contains a lookout point and a panoramic route that covers most of the area. The basement hosts the Antiquarium Museum, which displays the archaeological remains found there.
