Today we’re stepping inside one of the largest and most awe-inspiring cathedrals in the world, the Seville Cathedral. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site alongside the Archive of the Indies and the Real Alcazar. It’s a monument of faith, power, and artistry. Let’s explore!
Seville Cathedral
We enter through the west facade on the left side, the door of baptism. this was built in the 15th century and decorated with a scene depicting the baptism of Jesus, created by the workshop of Lorenzo Mercadante of Brittany. Tickets are 11 euros for general admission, combo tickets are available with the Giralda and Alcázar. I’d recommend you book online to skip the queue, and also take full advantage of the audio guide.
History of the Seville Cathedral
The site of the cathedral was originally the Almohad Great Mosque, built in the 12th century. The Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf ordered the construction of a new grand mosque for the city in 1172 on the south end of the city. Shortly after Seville’s conquest by Ferdinand III, Yaqub Yusuf’s mosque was converted into the city’s cathedral.
Seville Cathedral was built to demonstrate the city’s wealth, as it had become a major trading center in the years after the Reconquista in 1248. It was transformed into the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Construction began in 1401 with the bold declaration: ‘Let us build a church so magnificent that those who see it will think us mad.’ I think they accomplished that goal and you’ll see throughout the video exactly why that is.
The Design of the Seville Cathedral
Seville Cathedral is a symphony of Gothic architecture, with touches of Renaissance and Baroque added over centuries. The vaulted ceilings soar over 40 meters high, and light filters in through rose windows that illuminate hundreds of carvings and altarpieces. After its completion in the early 16th century, Seville Cathedral supplanted Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral in the world, a title the Byzantine church had held for a thousand years.
More notable history of the Seville Cathedral
Seville Cathedral was the site of the baptism of Juan of Aragon in 1478, only son of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Its royal chapel holds the remains of the city’s conqueror, Ferdinand III of Castile, his son and heir, Alfonso the Wise, and their descendant, King Peter the Cruel.
The north facade, which opens onto the Court of the Oranges is usually kept closed except on festival days. This area, the Patio de los Naranjos was originally part of the Almohad mosque designed by Ahmad ben Basso. These are twin organs by Aquilino Amezua from the early 1900s think 1903 and they were reworked by Gerhard Grenzing in 1996, adding some more traditional Baroque capabilities. I would’ve love to hear the sound from those instruments.
In the main body of the cathedral, the most noticeable features are the great boxlike choir loft, which fills the central portion of the nave, here you can see just how much detailing went into each and every part of this cathedral. Our tour guide did a fantastic job walking us through the history and architectural details of this place, also he mentioned he used to sing in the choir and he comes here every Sunday for worship so you can say he’s an expert.
Did you know?
Christopher Columbus and his son Diego are also buried in the cathedral. This is the chapel dedicated to Columbus and his legacy. The cathedral has 80 chapels. We work our way through the southeast corner of the cathedral.
The extension of the Seville Cathedral
No visit to the Seville Cathedral is complete without seeing the beautiful Sala Capitular, the Chapter House, an eclipse-shaped highly ornate hall that is crowned by a magnificent dome. I mean just look at this. A renaissance-style building housed within a gothic-style cathedral built on a mosque. This is the interior with the archbishop’s chair on display.
Fun fact, the Capilla Mayor, Pierre Dancart’s masterpiece, is considered one of the finest altarpieces in the world. It features one of the largest altarpieces in Christendom, with over 1,000 intricately sculpted biblical scenes in gold leaf. To cap off this grand tour we made our way to the Giralda Tower, once a minaret, it is now a bell tower. You can climb its ramped interior for stunning views of the city, which is exactly what we did. The Giralda stands tall at 105 m (343 ft). It is the former minaret of the mosque that stood on the site under Muslim rule, and was built to resemble the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, Morocco. While the Giralda climb is smooth, it is 34 ramps to the top so don’t rush.
Name: Seville Cathedral
Location: Seville, Spain (Google Maps)
Time: 11am - 6pmPro tip: The Seville Catedral offers free entrance on Mondays from 2:30–6 PM so reserve in advance if you can. Seville Cathedral isn’t just a landmark, it’s a living legacy. From Moorish foundations to Gothic grandeur, it’s a place where history and devotion meet in magnificent style. Join us next time as we uncover more adventures across Spain.
