Impressive Seville

Cathedral of Seville

The dimensions of this Cathedral make it one of the largest gothic temples in the Christian faith, surpassed only by St. Paul's in London and St. Peter's at the Vatican, which are more modern constructions. The Cathedral is built over the location of former Great Mosque, of which the patio of ablutions or los Naranjos, the Puerta del Perdón (door of pardon) and the minaret are still preserved. The minaret is currently known as la Giralda (weathervane) due to the 16th century one that crowns it. The mosque was converted into a Christian temple in 1248 when King Fernando III of Castile conquered the city. Its different phases of construction were carried out in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic periods. The Cathedral has five façades. The most commonly used entrance is the one that is reached from the Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes. It has five naves (the main one is 36 meters tall) and its floor plan is rectangular and measures 116 meters in length by 76 meters in width. The highest point is at the crosspiece, which reaches 40 metres in height. The main altarpiece has the largest dimensions of any that are known, and was built in several phases. Among those who contributed to its construction were the brothers Jorge Fernandez Alemán and Alejo Fernandez, Roque Balduque, Pedro Millán, Juan Baptist Vázquez Viejo and Pedro de Heredia. The main room, a Renaissance construction, is from the second half of the 16th century. The larger sacristy is plateresque and houses precious metal work such as La Custodia de Plata by Juan de Arfe and images such as El Cristo de la Clemencia by Montañés Martinez. The Choir and the Royal Chapel further enrich the heritage of the temple, whose true name is Santa Maria de la Sede. The remains of Christopher Columbus are held in this temple.

Real Alcázar de Sevilla

Pedro I the Cruel rebuilt the old Almohade palace and equipped it to function as a Royal Residence. It suffered serious deterioration with the passage of time and had to be restored during the reign of Isabel II. The interior of the building unfolds around two patios: that of las Doncellas, where official life was carried out, and that of las Muñecas, where private life was lived. The Salón de Embajadores (Ambassadors' Hall) is beautifully is decorated with plasterwork and tiles. The upper floor is accessed by a 16th century stairwell, which is covered by coffered ceiling and decorated with paintings by Roelas and Madrazo, artfully placed to emphasize the furniture and carpets that adorn several of the rooms. A tour of the complex is completed with the Apeadero (stopping place) and the gardens, in which the Fuente de Mercurio (Mercury's fountain) and the Galería del Grutesco are remarkable.

Tobacco factory

Tobacco was introduced into Europe by Seville. In order to store it and to manufacture it the Royal Tobacco Factory was built between 1728 and 1776. In the 18th Century, this building was the largest industrial construction in all of Europe. Surrounding the factory, several sentries worked to dig a trench, which leads one to conclude that the building must have also served a defensive purpose. Among the female cigar-makers who worked in the factory was Carmen of Triana, a brave woman who was ahead of her time and who has inspired numerous plays and operas, among them the famous Carmen by Merimée. These days, the former Tobacco Factory houses the central offices of Hispalense University.

Convento de Santa Paula

Founded in 1475 as a convent for Jeronima nuns. Construction of the church was carried out between 1483 and 1489. The façade, from 1503, is a magnificent example of the style of Spain's Catholic Kings and Queens, which originated in Spain at the end of the 15th century and which fuses gothic structures, Mudéjar constructive techniques and Renaissance decoration. The cloister is built in the Mudéjar style, and contains sculptures by Martinez Montañés and Andrés de Ocampo. It has a museum with pieces that in former times were relegated to the enclosed area.

Casa de Pilatos (Pontius Pilate House)

Andalusian palace popularly known as it is for being the beginning of a vía crucis (route or way of the cross) that was established by the Marquis of Tarifa upon his return from Jerusalem. Its construction was begun at the end of the 15th century. It is of Moorish origin, although it also has gothic and plateresque elements. The Renaissance façade is crowned with a gothic cresting. The main patio has both Mudéjar and plateresque decoration. In the Descanso de los Jueces room there is a beautiful arch clad with Mudéjar and gothic elements and a beautiful tile socle and plasterwork frieze.

Hospital de la Caridad (Charity Hospital)

This hospital's church, dedicated to St. George, is an extraordinary example of Sevillian Baroque. The façade was designed by Leonardo de Figueroa and the tiles were decorated in the Triana district using drawings by Murillo, who along with Valdés Leal left his mark on the building with works like In ictu oculi. The larger altarpiece with sculptures by Pedro Roldán is remarkable. In the ante-chancel, the cupola is decorated with plasterwork and a mural painting. The rest of the building is made up of inner patios surrounded by offices.

Plaza de América

Forming part of the urban-artistic complex created for the Iberoamérica Exhibition of 1929, this plaza, built by Aníbal González and located within the enclosure of the Maria Luísa Park, is bordered by three palaces of different architectonic styles that were also constructed for the Exhibition. The first, neogothic in style, is the Pabellón Real (Royal Pavilion). The second, neomudéjar in style, houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Customs and the last, neoRenaissance in style, is the Provincial Archaeological Museum, which contains the Carambolo Treasure (the most important prehistoric metalwork finding).

Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) of Seville

This building holds some items of great historical and artistic interest, such as the city banner and a canvas painting of the Patrons Justa and Rufina. Its construction was begun in the 15th century by Diego de Riaño, who built the southern sector of the Town Hall, which connects it to the Franciscan monastery as well as building two floors covered with plateresque reliefs depicting historical and mythical characters, heralds and emblems alluding to the founders of the city: Hercules and Caesar. It was reformed in the 19th century by Demetrio de los Ríos and Balbino Marrón, who designed a new neoclassical main façade facing the Plaza Nueva.

Tower of Gold

Dating back to 1220 and receiving its name for the old golden-tile coating of its façade. Built on the banks of the river to serve as a watchtower, it formed part of the ancient Almohade wall. At present it holds the Naval Museum, which contains scale models, navigation charts , compasses and old documentation.

Click here for a more extensive >>  

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1000 properties in 100 countries and approximately 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood(R) Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), Sheraton(R), Westin(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, W(R), Le Méridien(R), and the recently announced AloftSM and ElementSM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.  

Home | Special Offers | Seville

Follo us :