We met up with my (Megan’s) parents in Spain – 2 nights in Seville, and week Malaga. I was so excited to see them – the last time we had seen them was the previous summer, before we left on our travels.
We all had a long day of travel and met up for a great Italian dinner (and wine!).
The next morning, we took a walk around and saw some of the famous sites. We were there during Semana Santa (Holy week), so the city was really crowded. Unfortunately, the processions were canceled because of the rain – which would be extremely devastating to the participants since walking in the processions is a once-in-a-lifetime honor, with no “rain-checks”.
The waterfront of the Guadalquivir River:
The Torre del Oro, built in the early 13th Century as a defensive watchtower for the river. It was later used as a prison.
The Palace of San Telmo, built in the 17th Century, now the seat of thee Andalusian Autonomous Government:
The Alcazar
The Alcazar was originally a Moorish fort started in 1181, later becoming a palace of the Catholic Monarchs and subsequent rulers. Unfortunately, it was closed on Good Friday, so we were only able to see it from the outside.
The Cathedral of Seville
This cathedral is the second biggest in Europe – only St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican is bigger. It was built from 1402 to 1506. It is a maze of aisles, chapels (80 chapels!), courtyards, and domes. It was built over the Almohad Mosque (Reconquista of Seville happened in 1248 – by Ferdinand III).
As with so many of the cathedral pictures, it’s good that there are people in this one to show the scale of how huge the building is.
The choir:
The high alter was completed 1526, the work of one craftsman, Pierre Dancart. Again, the pictures hardly show how big and how ornate it is.
In the treasury, there are priceless works of art and the crown jewels. This priceless gold crown is the Crown of the Virgen de los Reyes:
It’s hard to believe how many rooms and different styles of architecture there are. Truly a maze of rooms and courtyards.
Christopher Columbus is buried in the Cathedral, in this unique and extensive tomb. Due to some controversy, the remains have been DNA tested – it was confirmed that the remains are almost definitely those of Christopher Columbus (it’s “almost” definite because they could also be a very close relative, like his brother). Either way, a Columbus is buried there.
You could spend days in the cathedral to take in all of the floor mosaics, ceiling domes, art works, stained-glass windows, chapels, statues, etc.
The cathedral is that it is built over a mosque, and there are a few remaining architectural clues to its origins – these parts would have been built by 1198.
More walking:
Plaza de Espana
This plaza is a huge, beautiful place full of colorful tiles, archways, and even a small waterway with walking bridges. It was built for the 1929 World’s Fair. Now it houses government buildings, including the Town Hall.
Each region of Spain has its own (fountain?) with colorful tile-work and a scene depicting a key point in it history.
More gardens, squares, and narrow streets….
Seville at night. I would recommend this city to everyone!
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