The largest cathedral in Spain, Seville Cathedral has been a World Heritage Site since 1987. Standing in the heart of the Andalusian capital, the building holds grandeur, baroque, gothic, renaissance and neoclassicist works of art, graves of famous personalities and, definitely, one of the best views of the city.
Find out a little more about this historic landmark in the middle of Seville now before packing your bags and going there to see it up close. In the article, we tell you everything you need to know to enjoy every second of your visit to the cathedral.
Is it worth taking a guided tour of Seville Cathedral?
OK!
This is because, through a guided tour, you learn everything about the attraction, which makes the entire experience even more enriching.
Now you just need to decide which type of guided tour makes the most sense for you: the more practical and quick one, which allows you to discover other things during the rest of the day? Or one that can last all day?
What to see in Seville Cathedral?
The grandeur that can be seen outside the cathedral can also be seen from the inside. Historical paintings, surprising stained glass windows, absurdly high ceilings: everything in the cathedral is always ready to impress. But some of the area’s attractions stand out more than others. For me, they are the following:
La Giralda
The cathedral’s bell tower – which was also the tower of a mosque – is simple, but guarantees a unique experience: climb the 101 meters to the 24 bells to feel like going back in time with access to an unforgettable panoramic view of the city of Seville.
Works of art
Seville Cathedral is, in addition to being a historical monument, an artistic heritage. There are very valuable works on display at the site, but I would like to highlight at least two of them that cannot be left out of your itinerary: the immense work “The Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua”, by Bartolomé Murillo, and the painting of “Santa Justa and Saint Rufina”, patron saint of Seville, by the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya.
You can purchase your tickets in advance through Get Your Guide and thus guarantee your visit to Torre da Giralda
Goya’s work is even more impressive when we find ourselves admiring the details of a painting that depicts the Giralda Tower itself, which you have just seen in person. Legend has it, in fact, that the tower only remained standing after an earthquake in 1504 because of the saints, who descended from the heavens to save it.
Gold plated altar
It is the largest altar in Seville Cathedral and took 80 years to be built: it is more than 25 meters high and, on it, stands the cathedral’s patron saint, Santa Maria de la Sede.
Tomb of Christopher Columbus
The remains of the great explorer of the Americas, Christopher Columbus, have been in Seville Cathedral since 1898, but it was only in 1902 that the navigator received his official tomb: a monument that represents the four main original kingdoms of Spain: Castilla, León, Aragón and Navarre.
What to know before visiting Seville Cathedral?
Seville Cathedral began to be officially built in the 15th century, more specifically in 1433. It took almost 100 years for it to be inaugurated before the public, in May 1507, which happened shortly after the Carmona earthquake in 1504.
But the construction continued to gain chapels, paintings, sacristies, altars and, of course, monumental tombs of kings and historical figures, until more recent centuries – and this gave the Cathedral the temporal landmarks related to the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical phases of history. of art in Europe.
An essential curiosity about Seville Cathedral is that it was built on a mosque, a legacy of the Moorish domination of the region in the Middle Ages. Therefore, it is possible to find details of the typical Moorish influence, especially in the “Patio de los Naranjos”, the cathedral’s internal courtyard which, in addition to ensuring a sunlit walk during more beautiful days, has the air perfumed by its orange trees.
Is Seville Cathedral worth visiting?
For sure!
Seville Cathedral is an unmissable landmark in the history of Andalusia and Gothic architecture and, in addition, its character as a picture gallery reinforces its importance: the place brings together many works of art of different styles and formats. Anyone visiting the Andalusia region, therefore, cannot leave the visit off the itinerary.
Remember, however, to buy your tickets in advance : whatever the tour, visiting the site is highly popular.