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Cathedral Santa Maria de la Sede

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Stircrazy
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Editor Pick

Seville’s Cathedral

  • January 4, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by LenR from Townsville, Australia
Seville’s Cathedral

You can’t miss Seville’s cathedral when you are in the city. It is in the centre of the action and rivals St Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London for size. It is always difficult for me to date old buildings but it helps to know that this is the largest Gothic building in the world. It was, in fact, built in the 15th-century on the site of the great mosque begun by Yusuf II in 1171. Fortunately the minaret and the outer court of the mosque were retained and you still see these today.

The exterior of the building is not as impressive as some other cathedrals but if you walk around the building the size will certainly impress. It is built in pure Gothic style with flying buttresses and rose windows. When you first enter the cathedral, it can also be somewhat disappointing. The interior is very dimly lit and the five naves and numerous side chapels are shrouded in gloom. Sheer size and grandeur are, obvious characteristics, but as you grow used to the gloom, two other qualities stand out with equal force - the rhythmic balance and interplay between the parts, and an impressive overall simplicity and restraint in decoration.

In the central portion of the nave rises the Capilla Mayor, dominated by a vast Gothic altarpiece comprised of 40 or so carved scenes from the life of Christ. The lifetime's work of a single craftsman, Pierre Dancart, this is the ultimate masterpiece of the cathedral - the largest and richest altarpiece in the world and one of the finest examples of Gothic woodcarving anywhere.

Alongside this room is the grandiose Sacrista Mayor which houses the treasury. Amid a confused collection of gold and silver (much of it from the ‘New World’) are the keys presented to Fernando by the Moorish and Jewish communities on the surrender of the city. In the Sacristy of the Chalices there are wood carvings and paintings by Goya and others.

Don’t miss the memorial to Christopher Columbus on the southern side of the cathedral. No one knows for certain where he was buried but it is said some of his remains are here. Columbus’s son is also interned in the cathedral.

Most people miss the Royal Chapel which is reserved for prayer and concealed behind a huge curtain but you can get in here if you are quiet and properly dressed. There is a separate door marked Entrada Para Culto – entrance for worship. Along the sides are various tombs of Royal members and other dignitaries.

Now go out into the Courtyard of Orange Trees on the northern side of the cathedral. This was part of the original mosque and the fountain in the centre was used for washing before entering the mosque. It is worth climbing to the top of the Giralda. This was once the minaret of the mosque but it had a lantern and belfry added in 1566 and a bronze statue of Faith which turned as a weathervane. From the top there is a view over the entire city.

From journal Seville Sightseeing

Editor Pick

Cathedral

  • November 21, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by ripplefan2 from Queens, New York
After a long Saturday night of partying and exploring all throughout Seville and Triana, we decided to wake up early and go explore the sights of downtown Seville and try our hardest to get rid of our hangovers.


After we were thoroughly lost inside the gardens, we came across the Cathedral in the center of the city. Our handy little Lonely Planet book suggested that the Cathedral was free on Sundays, so we hopped our dried up, dehydrated bodies on line and waited with scores of other cheap travelers. Although the line is long, it is totally woth the price; free.


Upon entering the Cathedral, we immediately realized that there was a Sunday Mass happening. Since neither of us are very religious, this was a rather awkward moment. But, besides that, it was an extremely beautiful place. The main altar was extremely awe-inspiring with its bright gold everything and velvet floor. And the choir seats off to the side looked like (we weren't allowed in so I can't be sure) hand carved wood. Also, the high ceilings and stained glass windows were amazing. Sitting so high above of the parisioners for hundreds of years, I really was impressed. The whole Cathedral was beautiful.


I am not really sure what the Cathedral costs on other days of the week, but going in on Sunday is the best thing I think that we did. But who wouldn't love free?

From journal Sights of Seville

Editor Pick

Cathedral Santa Maria de la Sede

  • September 25, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by baroudeur2004 from Liege, Belgium
Cathedral Santa Maria de la Sede

"Let's build a temple so huge that all those who will see it finished will think we are crazy". That is what the priests said before the Cathedral Santa Maria de la Sede was built.

Open Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to 6pm, and Sunday from 2pm to 5pm, the entrance fees are moderate (6 euros in 2006) and it should not stop you from enjoying the visit. There is a security checkpoint after you have bought your tickets. You are allowed to take photos inside.

It’s a must-see while in Seville; the Cathedral is the biggest Spanish church and the third biggest in the world after Saint Peter in Rome and Saint Paul in London. The Cathedral is Gothic in style. Its construction started at the end of the 14th century but four centuries were necessary for it to have its current appearance.

The Cathedral was built on the location of an ancient almohade mosque and there are still some oriental vestiges in the Cathedral.

The inside of the Cathedral is impressive, not only because it is huge, but also because of its religious devotion atmosphere typical of the Sevillans. The marvellous altarpiece in the Cathedral Nave (the highest part is mudejar in style) is considered as the biggest in the world (20 metres high and 13.20 metres large). For it only, the Cathedral is worth a visit.

History was generous with the Cathedral: it welcomed the remains of many famous people. For instance, you can see the sepulchre of Cristobal Colón, or the Cardinal Cervantes's tomb (the one who wrote Don Quichotte).

In the Royal Chapel built in the middle of the 16th century, lies the tomb of Alfonso X and in a silver urn, rests the intact body of Ferdinand III the Saint, whose sword lies in the Chapel's Treasury Room.

Also, there is an important museum of Paintings in the Cathedral where you can admire paintings of Murillo, Valdés, Leal, Jordaens, Zurbarán, Morales, Pedro de la Campaña, etc.

The Cathedral of Seville has enough to occupy art lovers for hours. It is best to visit it on your own with a private guide or with your own guidebook (you can find many guidebooks on the Cathedral in souvenir shops) instead of joining a one-day tour of Seville which will allow you only a one-hour visit of the Cathedral.

From journal Stopover in Seville

Editor Pick

Seville Catedral and La Giralda

  • August 17, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by JayBroek from Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Seville Catedral and La Giralda

There are a few places in Europe that are always listed as ‘must sees’ for visitors. If the Giralda is not on your list it should be. The Cathedral and its famous bell tower dominate the skyline of Seville. It is a stunning amalgam of the gothic and the mudejar styles –- remains of the grand mosque that stood on this site prior to the cathedral can be detected in the lower levels of the bell tower.

When you walk into the cathedral and your eyes have adjusted to the gloom the first feeling is one of scale -– you are expected to feel small in this monumental space and think about your maker. The roof is forty or fifty metres above you. At floor level there is little to interrupt your gaze as you try to make out the opposite side of the cavern. If it isn’t the largest religious building in Europe (there are various ways of measuring apparently) then it’s pretty close.

Once you’ve got over the daunted feeling the cathedral has a few treasures to reveal. The carved wooden altarpiece (the artist Dancart’s life’s work) is regarded as one of the finest and largest of its type – scenes of Christ’s life depicted with skill and artistry. The other big draw is the tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Climbing the Giralda, though, was our main reason for visiting. The tower is what remains of the mosque that originally stood on this site (built in the 12th century) and this can be detected from the architectural style and brickwork of the lower levels. The top of the tower is very clearly gothic (added in the 16th century to create a bell chamber) and more in keeping with the rest of the cathedral. From within the cathedral you are led up a fairly gentle and wide ramp that winds round and round the inside of the tower –- there are Roman numerals marking your ascent. At various points windows look out over the rooftops and the gothic architecture of the cathedral’s roof. A final climb up a short staircase takes you onto the balcony from which you can gaze across the whole city. I love staring down on cities; working out where you’ve been, catching glimpses of courtyards and buildings otherwise hidden from prying eyes and getting an idea of how the city was planned and grew. If you share this sentiment then you’ll like the top of the Giralda. It’s a great view.

I would recommend relaxing after your descent in the Patio de los Naranjos -– the courtyard dating back to Moorish times when worshippers would wash their hands and feet before entering. It is a fragrant and relatively peaceful place despite the crowds -– tourists tend to quieten down in cathedrals.

Admission fees are reasonable and should not be a barrier to you enjoying this place.

From journal Lose your heart to Seville

Editor Pick

Seville Cathedral and La Giralda

  • August 10, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by roza4 from Cinnaminson, New Jersey
Seville Cathedral and La Giralda

Open: Mon-Sat 10:30am–6pm, Sun 2–5pm, last entry is one hour before closing time.

Being in Spain during Semana Santa (Holy Week) means that you will see processions with the large porcelain dolls of Mary and Jesus decorated in beautiful clothes carried from one end of the town to the other, as well as processions of various monk orders along the main street, women wearing the clothes that you can only see in Goya’s paintings of majas. It also means that all the opening hours are screwed up – some places are totally closed or close earlier, and you won’t know until you actually get there. This happened to me in Seville – the city mayor decided to close Seville cathedral couple of hours earlier for a concert – and I never got to see the inside of that cathedral.

Oh well, the cathedral from the outside is absolutely gorgeous and it is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It is considered 3rd largest after St. Peter’s in Vatican and St. Paul’s in London, however recent 3-dimensional models make this cathedral the largest. You most certainly get that feeling when walking around it. It has very tall ceilings and gorgeous lace-like gothic spires seem to adorn the building. Part of the dome is in Renaissance style. Each of the gates has beautiful plaster rosettes and rose windows. The cathedral besides its architecture is well-known for its altar, Murillo’s and Zurbaran’s paintings and Christopher Columbus’ tomb. And attached to it is a red brick bell-tower called La Giralda [hiralda] which has become the symbol of Seville. Giralda used to be a minaret of a mosque that stood where the cathedral stands now. The tower is designed in Moorish style with horseshoe windows so typical for Andalusia. The top of the tower was added in the 16th century and is in Renaissance style that some think doesn’t go together with the rest of the tower, however I didn’t think that it was out of place. Giralda is very tall (295 ft) and if you climb it, you will be able to get a great view of the city and the inside of the gothic cathedral. The entrance to the cathedral is near La Giralda.

From journal Travels to Spain - Seville

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