subject: Seville Cathedral [print this page] Seville Cathedral Seville Cathedral
Seville Cathedral was constructed around the 14th century on the site of an old mosque, and took 100 years to build. Most of the old Almohade Mosque was demolished to make way for the new Christian cathedral, however, the Moorish entrance of the Patio Naranjos and the Giralda Tower, were both preserved, and still stand to this day.
The cathedral covers and immense area of 11,520 square metres, and what the Christian builders did, was to add height to the cathedral's dimensions. The central nave rises to a staggering 42 metres, and one of the first details that strikes you about Seville's cathedral is the sheer magnitude of the overall structure.
The exterior of the building is notably gothic in style, with detailed flying buttresses, which were used to distribute the weight of the cathedral's ceiling and dome.
You enter the cathedral by the Puerta de San Cristobal, and just inside is the tomb of Christopher Columbus, which attracts many visitors. Christopher Columbus was originally buried in Havana, Cuba, the island, which he discovered, but during the Cuban revolution his body was transferred to Spain and here his remains lie. His tomb was designed in the late Romantic style, and is held up by four huge statues, which depict the Kingdom's of Leon, Castile, Aragon and Navarra.
The interior of the cathedral of Seville consists of a central nave and four aisles; as is very typical in Spain, the decoration is extravagant, with gold everywhere. However, the cathedral still exudes a feeling of simplicity and piousness. The central walkway and nave is very plain and simple, with the majority of the great monuments being housed along the side aisles.
The focus of the central nave in Seville Cathedral is the Coro, which consists of intricate 15th century choir stalls. The Coro opens onto the Capilla Mayor, which is dwarfed by the magnificent Gothic Retablo (the altar piece). This masterpiece of craftsmanship was the single lifetime's work of one man, Fleming Pieter Dancart. The structure comprises of 45 carved scenes, which depict the life of Christ. The detail is carved in wood and covered with gold. The Gothic Retablo is the largest and most ornate altarpiece in the world.
The Sacristia Mayor houses the treasury and amongst its treasures are artworks from Goya, Murillo and Zurbarn, plus the keys presented to Fernando by the Jewish and Moorish communities when the city was surrendered to the Christians. Engraved into the keys is the Arabic script, "May Allah render eternal the dominion of Islam in this city". And still to this day, there is much of Allah and reminders of the Moorish occupation in Seville.
Finally you come to the Capilla Real, or Royal Chapel, which houses the body of King Fernando III (El Santo) and his wife and son. The tomb lies within a large silver shrine.
To the left of the Capilla Real is the entrance to La Giralda, the Moorish minaret, which now functions as the cathedral's bell tower. La Giralda in its own right is a Seville sightseeing attraction, it is one of over three remaining Almohad minarets in the world and has survived since its Moorish birth at the end of the 11th century. It is absolutely worth the climb to the top to wonder at the magnificent views to the city of Seville.
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