Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world (124,000 square feet) and the third largest church in the world. It took over a century to build, and is built on top of a mosque built by the Moors. There are still some parts of the mosque remaining, namely the belltower (the Giralda), which used to be the minaret of the mosque.
Listening to the history of the Seville Cathedral.Stone tracery carved around 1440 to support stained glass. It could no longer be used since the stained glass has been deformed due to movement of the building over time.Giant windows seen from the outside.Tiny hallways to enter the cathedral itself.And here we are, finally in the cathedral.The size of this place is unbelievable, especially when you consider it was built Aha! One of those stone traceries that are still holding stained glass.One of the 80 side chapels in the cathedral. Almost all are barred.Monuments (or tombs?) of various bishops. The kids kept asking if there were dead bodies in these.Note the door to the right of the tomb/monument.Another doorway. These caused intense speculation with the kids.Supposedly, this houses the body of Christopher Columbus. The four figures represent the kingdoms of Spain while Columbus was alive: Castille, Aragon, Navara, and Leon.Inexplicable bats as part of the decoration.Get a load of that chandelier – maybe it’s not for lighting ….We did check out a few of the chapels. The opulence was overwhelming.Investigating yet another doorway.Patio de los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard). Everyone was thrilled to be back out in the sun.
Next up (literally) was the Giralda, the minaret of the mosque. The Renaissance-style top was added by the Catholics.
Crossing from cathedral to tower – the only lights are from the windows.Working our way up the 34 ramps (35 floors) that wind around the perimeter of the tower, with several rooms along the way. These ramps were built to accommodate “beasts of burden, people, and the custodians” .One of the rooms in the core of the tower held the first clock. This clock worked between 1400 and 1960!The perimeter had alcoves for views over the cathedral or the city.Some were tightly closed up.Some were just gated.View of the Orange Tree Courtyard on the way.Another room held the leaves of a 14th century door that show both Gothic writing and verses from the Qur’an.The kids were pretty excited to spot the pool.Check out the spiral staircase!Are they on the 3rd and 4th floor of the building, or the 4th and 5th floors? The answer depends on if you ask a North American or a Spaniard! The Giralda has 24 bells, and they all work. We arrived here just as the bells started to ring and it was mind-blowingly loud! Spot the pools again.Bullring with Triana Bridge behind it.View of the Orange Tree Courtyard from the top.Back out in the sunshine for a final look.Seeing this closeup brings to mind the quote from the church elders regarding the plans of the cathedral: “Let us build a church so beautiful and so magnificent that those who see it finished will think we are mad.” Probably not what they intended …. 😛Final stop was the Church of El Salvador. Again, it’s a church built on the remains of a mosque and the ruins of Roman and Visigoth temples. History in layers!
We didn’t stay long as we were quite overwhelmed by the decadence, and just wanted to be back out in the sunshine.
13.5 km at the Cathedral and Giralda.5 km Church of El Salvador
