Giralda
Cathedral
Orange Tree Patio
Royal Castle
Casa de Pilatos
Palacio de las Dueñas
City Hall
Palace of San Telmo
Tobacco Factory
We will comment some of the most outstanding monuments in Seville,
used only as a sample piece. We recommend visiting "Virtual Walk"
for more information.
Historic Seville
The most striking monument in Seville without a doubt is the
Giralda, a tower that can be seen from all parts of the
horizon with its ringing toll bells. Its construction over Roman
stonework dates back to 1184, finished in four golden blocks,
whose gold had cost 4,000 dinars in 1198. By the conquest of San
Fernando the Cordobian architect Hernán Ruiz gave form to the
crowning of the tower between 1565 and 1568 with the body of 25 toll
bells and the enormous statue "de la Fe", which is 4
meters tall and serves as a weathervane, popularly called by the city
folk as the "Giraldillo". From this statue the name
"Giralda" was given to the tower.
The structure of Seville's main Mosque was demolished in the 15th
century where the Cathedral has now been built. It's
116 meters long and 76 wide. It is the 3rd largest temple in the
Christianity after Saint Peter's in Rome and Saint Paul's in London.
Construction began at the beginning of the 15th century. It has 5 wide
Gothic naves with a large crossbeam where you can find the Main Chapel
("Capilla Mayor") with its beautiful iron works. The
altarpiece is the largest in the Christian world being 20 meters tall
and 13,2 meters wide. The Royal Chapel (quot;Capilla Real") also
stands out with its silver-plated style. In the center of the nave at
the foot of the altar there is a rich silver urn that holds the
uncorrupted body of King San Fernando. In the treasure one can
appreciate rich jewels and ornaments, for example the King's sword, etc.
We should also mention the Sacristy of the Chalices ("Sacristía
de los Cálices"), sketched by Diego de Riaño in
1529. We shoul also treasure encountering the paintings found by
Murillo, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal and Goya as well as
the famous
"Cristo de la Clemencia", the masterpiece of
Martínez Montañés.
While visiting the Cathedral one should see the Orange Tree Patio
("Patio de los Naranjos"), the old patio of mosque. This was
preserved in its state until 1618, with its flaming archs,
some of which have been reconstructed, its central praying area,
which only has intact its fountain with its octogon shape and
added Visigoth basin.
octogonal.
Over the ruins of King Almotamid the Royal Castle ("Alcázar") was built, where
Taifas and Almohades dwelled just like the King San Fernando after
the conquest. This palace houses the Patio of Plaster. The Royal
Castle itself was construct by King Don Pedro el Cruel and renovated
in part by the Catholic King and Queen and by Charles V. The front
of the building is the most decortated artefact of the Mudejar in
Spain, visible from the "Patio de la Montería" in
whose construction the Alarife Moors participated with Sevillian
artersians and decorators from Toledo. Inside the palace one should
not go without mentioning the Patio de las Doncellas, axis of private
life. The Ambassador's Meeting Room stands out with a dome from the
15th century, and the sleeping quarters of the Moorish Kings with
interesting Mudejar doors. In the upper floor one can contemplate the
private chapel of the Catholic King and Queen with the magnificent
tile altar of polychrome made by
Pisano in 1504. The wide gardens of the Royal Castle combine Arabic,
Renaissance and modern styles.
Of notorious interest is the Casa de Pilatos,
the prototype of the Andalusian palace. The construction began at
the end of the 15th century and was finished by Don Fadrique de
Ribera, first Marquee of Tarifa, upon returning from his trip to
Jerumsalem in 1519. The name of Pontius Pilot comes from a popular
belief that Don Fadrique reproduced the palace from the Roman's
house in Jerumsalem. The patio with its elegant fountain and its
two ornamented statues of Minerva, constitutes the most beautiful
Sevillian Renaissance work of art.
The Palacio de las Dueñas,
finalized in the 16th century posesses a patio that like the
"Casa de Pilatos" can be cited as a prototype of the
Andalusian patio. The amplious free spaces allows a larger
appreiation of the monument's whole. It was the manor of the Pinedas
and is the actual residence of the Duchess of Alba
The City Hall is one of the buildings most
representative of platesque Spain, finished by Riaño in 1534.
The Palace of San Telmo is the 18th century
construction of Leonardo de Figueroa, one of the best boastings
Andalusian Baroque art.
The Tobacco Factory, converted into part of the
universtiy system, was erected in the 18th century and with its
four enormous facades is the largest monument in Spain after
"El Escorial".
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