SEVILLA
Information: THE CATHEDRAL AND SURROUNDING AREA |
|
 |
The Giralda, standing tall on its Roman base, began to be built
in 1184, once the Almohad mosque had been completed, and was
finished in 1197. A row of balconies covered by "wide hanging
arches" give the minaret light. The most abundant decoration
used is sebka (lengths of rhombus-pattern meshes in brick, adhered
to the walls); over this runs a horizontal strip of blind arches
resting on columns. Up to the fourteenth century, the tower
ended in three enormous apples of gilded metal, placed in order
of diminishing size. A total of 35 interior ramps lead to the
end of the minaret. In 1588, Hermin Ruiz built the belfry in
accordance with the Renaissance trends of the time. This was
topped by et Giratdillo, a statue of Faith. The tower measures
93 metres. It is solid and spiky like no other. The Cathedral
is known as "Magna Hispalensis" for its beauty and
its size (it is the third largest of all Christian cathedrals).
It has five naves, plus two side naves for chapels, with a flat
head wall and central apse. A large part of the roofing is no
more than plain keel vaults, except for some stretches of the
transept. In 1464, Lorenzo Mercadante produced the Bautismo
and Nacimiento entrances of the main front in polychrome terracotta;
they are the building's most brilliant works of sculpture. In
the high chapel, the main features are: the iron screen, with
slender proportions and abundant narrative themes, wrought in
the sixteenth century by the friar Francisco de Salamanca, and
the huge altarpiece, which was begun in 1482, according to the
design by Pedro Dancart, who carved some of the relief work,
though most of the images are by Jorge Fernandez. It includes
more than a thousand figures.vIn the choir, closed off by an
sixteenth-century iron grille screen (also the work of Francisco
de Salamanca), the most impressive feature are the stalls themselves,
from the fifteenth century and carved for the most part in ebony,
One of the outer side altars includes the figure of la Cieguecita,
a sculpture by Martfnez Montanes, with the eyes half-closed
and looking down, carved "with the greatest beauty pos
sible... with a joy that moves one to devotion".
The Royal Chapel is located in the apse and is presided over
by a seated image of the Virgen de Los Reyes (Virgin of the
Kings), patron saint of Seville; it is a thirteenthcentury Gothic
work. The embalmed body of St Ferdinand rests at the foot of
the altar. The cupola, designed by Hernan Ruiz in 1557, and
the shell in the apse form a space of great Renaissance beauty.
In 1458, Lorenzo Mercadante sculpted the tomb for cardinal Cervantes
in the San Hermenegildo chapel, in a naturalist style. The San
Pedro chapel has a beautiful altarpiece by Zurbaran.
The main sacristy is a plateresque monument, with a Greek cross
ground plan, covered with a large cupola, adorned with relief
work in the caissons. The design is by Diego de Siloe. In the
Calices sacristy, which began as a Gothic structure and was
restyled according to Renaissance tastes, the most famous Crucificado
by Martinez Montanes is venerated, "a work of a genius
in the trance of inspiration". The chapter house is "one
of the capital spaces of sixteenth century European architecture",
for the elliptical ground plan, the oval vault, the effects
of the light and its axes of symmetry. The Patio de los Naranjos
(Courtyard of Orange Trees), a remnant of the former mosque,
contains doors coated in bronze plates, dating (it would appear)
from the Almohad era, from which the courtyard itself dates.
In the centre is a Gothic fountain. The Archivo General de Indias
was built as an exchange so that traders would not use the Courtyard
of Orange Trees and the Cathedral as places of business. Juan
de Herrera drew up the plans, reflecting the austerity of both
the architect and Philip 11, who commissioned the work. Charles
III adapted the plans for an archive of all the documentation
relating to America. Among other documents, it contains eighty
million manuscripts, some of which have now been digitally recorded.
The Reales Alcazares have been occupied and fortified by all
the civilisations that have settled in Seville.
In 913, Abd ar-Rahman III built an alcazaba or fortress, the
bailey of which is the present-day Patio de Banderas. In the
eleventh century, al-Mutamid, the poet king, extended the alcazaba
to build his palace, which was later rebuilt by the Almohads.
Ferdinand III lodged here following the city's conquest, converting
it into Seville's palace for Spanish monarchs. Philip V installed
his court here for four years, from 1729 to 1733. Practically
all monarchs have redeveloped or enlarged some part of these
palaces, though it was Alfonso XI and Peter I who, in the fourteenth
century, built the largest constructions, creating the rooms
of greatest artistic value. A visit begins at the Puerta del
Leon, which opens up the Arab walls. To the left of the entrance
courtyard is the Sala de la Justicia, the Justice Room built
by Alfonso XI, decorated with rich plasterwork, fine panelling
and a spout in the centre. Next to it is the Almohad Patio del
Veso, a long rectangular garden with borders and a central canal.
The sense of lightness of the whitewashed hanging yeso or plasterwork
and the column supports are the main features. The portico sides
and the importance of water resemble the courtyards in the Alhambra.
At the end of the Patio de la Monterfa stands the Palacio del
Rey Don Pedro, the most interesting of the alcazares, with the
most beautiful portal of all Mudejar building fronts; its fine
decoration, flat form and large eaves are reminiscent of the
Alhambra's Cuarto Dorado (Golden Room); Toledo, Nasrid and Seville
master-builders all worked on the palace.
The Patio de las Doncellas, with a gallery on all four sides,
opened up with pointed horseshoe arches, whitewashed walls and
sebka decoration, brought together the public areas. By its
side, the Salon de Embajadores or Ambassadors' Room reuses elements
from the al-Mutamid palace and imitates the Salon del Trono
or Throne Room in Madinat az-Zahra in Cordoba. The present-day
dome, with Islamic undertones, was built in 1427, in the time
of John II.
The Patio de las Muñecas or Courtyard of Dolls, which
the private rooms opened onto, is a prodigy of perfection in
its original elements; the caliphate-style columns and capitals
are from the al-Mutamid palace; the upper gallery and glass
roof were added in the nineteenth century. The gardens, which
were conceived along Arab-Oriental lines, have undergone transformations
including Renaissance, mannerist (with its discourse between
nature and artifice), eighteenth-century and Romantic; they
are among the most beautiful gardens in Spain.
The Town Hall, one of the most important buildings of Spanish
plateresque for its proportions, architectural movement and
facades, and profusely decorated, is the work of Diego Riaño.
The Salvador parish church was built on the site of a former
mosque. Leonardo de Figueroa, a figure who represents eighteenthcentury
Baroque architecture in Seville, built the cupola and the front,
and also decorated the interior. In this church popular devotion
venerates the processional image of Nuestro Padre Jesus de Pasion,
a work by Martinez Montanes. The barrio de Santa Cruz, one of
the two former Jewish quarters, has a strong appeal for the
quiet, narrow winding streets, small squares either with uneven
shapes or designed with absolute symmetry, orange trees planted
according to some unknown pattern, the bare front of a church,
broken only by the tiled image of a Virgin and the memory of
so many poets that lived and wrote in Seville. In the Plaza
de la Cerrajeria, there stands the cross that gives the neighbourhood
its name; it is a masterpiece of urban ornamentation, wrought
in iron by Sebastian Conde in 1692.
The Hospital de 105 Venerables Sacerdotes was a seventeenth-century
foundation that cared for aged priests. Leonardo Figueroa continued
previous works and added the front, the decoration of the vaults
and the beautiful courtyard garden. Inside the building there
are sculptures by Pedro Roldan and paintings by Juan Valdes
Leal, with an interesting exaltation of the Holy Cross (la Santa
Cruz) , providing an unusual perspective. The building is now
home to the Focus foundation, Seville's Culture Fund.
The Casa de Pilatos, traditionally linked to the Enrfquez de
Ribera family, is one of the most representative palaces from
the sixteenth century. It includes Nasrid, Gothic and Mudejar
elements, though Renaissance predominates, which is evident
in the fountains, columns, and tombs brought directly from Genoa,
and for the classical air of the mural painting in the upper
galleries, the busts of Roman emperors, and the classical and
late-Roman sculptures.
|
|
|
 |
More
Seville Tourist Information |
|
|
| |
| |
 |
CarMalaga car hire provides your vehicle right to you as you arrive
at Malaga Airport Car
hire Malaga Airport
|
 |
The best service |
|
Unlimited Km |
|
No queues |
|
24h road assistance |
|
Full equipe |
|
Credit C. not required |
|
Free extra driver |
|
No waiting time |
|
All taxes included |
|
