Description: 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.
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