Seville Cathedral

Seville’s Amazing Cathedral

In southern Spain you’ll find the province of Andalusia, and in Andalusia you’ll find the stunning city of Seville, as well as one of the world’s largest cathedrals (the third largest, to be exact), the ‘Catedral’ of Seville.

The Catedral stands on the site of the former Almohad Mosque. It was built there to serve as a symbol of the Reconquista of Seville by Christian armies over the Moors. The location has always been an important one.

Seville once numbered among one of the most powerful trading cities in the world, and the grand design of this massive cathedral was constructed with the purpose of showing off that power and wealth. Most of the original mosque was torn down and built over, but several structures from the first building were preserved, including the Patio de los Naranjos, a rectangular square full of orange trees situated just outside the Catedral, and the Giralda, the mosque’s towering minaret, which now serves as a bell tower for the city’s cathedral. The Christian architects added a few Renaissance touches to the minaret, especially near the summit of the tower, to make it their own.

Officially, you’ll be able to find a tomb containing Christopher Columbus’s remains inside the Catedral, but the final resting place of this famous explorer’s actual bones is still a matter of some speculation, and controversy. Some scholars believe he’s buried in the Caribbean on the island of Hispaniola, or perhaps Cuba, while other believe he was laid to rest some place else. There are many cities on the planet that want to claim his bones as their own.

The actual interior of the cathedral is massive and breathtaking to behold. The central nave is the longest in all of Spain. Vaulted ceilings loom high overhead, and soft sunlight filters in through beautiful stain glass windows. There are also numerous chapels spread throughout the church for you to visit, like the Chapel of St. Peter and the Chapel of St. Anthony. You’d have to spend an entire afternoon there to see them all.

There are eight doors you can enter the cathedral by, although many of them are closed at various times during the day. Make sure you set aside some time to stroll through Patio de los Naranjos, which is not inside the cathedral proper. Seville’s Catedral is an impressive place to spend some time, and a quiet sanctuary (except for the hushed voices inside) where you can escape the bustle of activity coming from city outside.