Seville Cathedral, Catedral de Santa Marìa de la Sede, has some mightily impressive statistics. The largest Gothic cathedral; the world’s fourth largest Christian church; the largest altar in the world; at 11520 square metres only St Peter’s in Rome and St Paul’s in London are larger churches in Europe, although Seville’s volume is greater than either; an altarpiece the life’s work of a single craftsman; all contained in a cathedral designed to be ‘such a building that future generations will consider us to be lunatics.’
Fortunately, it’s not simply the statistics which impress visitors. It’s once they are inside that the true wonder of the building becomes apparent.
After the Christians recaptured Seville in 1248, the city’s foremost mosque, the Almohad Mosque, was used as a Christian church for many years. By the beginning of the 15th century, however, it was in such poor condition – and the city of Seville was beginning to become more important and wealthy – that the canons of the church decided to build their own place of worship on the same site. So single-minded were they in their pursuit of grandeur, that they renounced all but a subsistence level of funds for themselves in order to help fund the cost of the building – and also came out with their famous quotation mentioned at the end of the introductory paragraph.
They built their new church between the years of 1402 and 1506 – in itself a remarkable achievement given the building’s enormity. The cathedral was constructed on the rectangular base of the former mosque and kept two major parts incorporated within the new design. The first of these, the Patio de los Naranjos, situated just inside the main entrance, is a courtyard full, as its name implies, of orange trees, and is where the original Muslim worshippers would wash before entering their mosque.
The other remaining element of the Almohad Mosque is the beautifully decorated minaret converted into a bell tower, La Giralda, which is now more than 90 metres high. Those parts of the tower higher than the bell itself were added during the construction of the cathedral, along with El Giraldillo, the weather vane on the top. John Gill, in his absorbing 2008 publication, Andalucía, a Cultural History, refers to La Giralda as ‘a cross-section of Andaluz history’ and, as well as being beautiful in its own right, it offers wonderful views across the city of Seville.
It is once you are inside the mighty, 5-naved Christian cathedral itself that its sheer vastness really strikes you. The central nave is a stunning 42 metres high. But there are so many other elements to admire as well as size. The box-like Coro, or Choir, in the centre has 117 stalls carved in the Mudéjar style. The enormous Gothic retablo, perhaps the largest altarpiece in the world, fills the centre of the nave and has fantastic carvings of biblical scenes all over it. There are works by Goya, Zubarán and Murillo to be searched out. Visitors can even find a collection of skulls as well as the original keys presented to King Ferdinand by the Jewish and Moorish inhabitants of Seville when the city surrendered to him in 1248.
One of the most impressive – and, at the same time, controversial – parts of the cathedral is the tomb of Christopher Columbus, just inside the Puerta de San Cristóbal. It is a highly imposing monument, but whether or not any part of the great explorer’s remains are actually contained within it is still very much a matter of debate and scientific investigation.
And always, wherever your eye wanders, you will be stunned by the quality of the sculptures, the stained glass, the paintings and, of course, the sheer quantity of gold and silver decoration to be seen.
Seville Cathedral is a beautifully striking building with many unforgettable apsects. When you visit, remember that shorts and t-shirts are not allowed and also check about the taking of photographs. When I was there recently, flash photography was not permitted. There is a small entrance fee, although on Sunday afternoons there is free admission. You will almost certainly be initially overwhelmed by the size of the building but then, as you wander around its delightfully cool interior, you’ll discover that there is so much more to be said about it.
Seville Cathedral Opening Times:
Winter (1st September to 30th June)
Monday to Saturday: 11am to 5pm
Sunday: 2.30pm to 6pm
Public Holidays: Check Locally
Summer (1st July to 31st August)
Monday to Saturday: 9.30am to 4pm
Sunday: 2.30pm to 6pm
Public Holidays: Check Locally
Leave a Reply