Pictures of Sevilla Cathedral

Sevilla - Cathedral

The cathedral is now closed: wait until the next morning

One of the things for which Sevilla is famous, is the cathedral. Some people (most of them Sevillians) say it is the largest cathedral in the world. We thought the St Peter in the Vatican was just a little bit bigger.

No matter if it's the largest or not, it is a VERY impressive building. It take quite some time even to walk around it: it is 126 meters long and 83 meters wide. The highest point (except for the Giralda) is 37 meters.

Stained glass windows

Construction of the cathedral started in 1401, on top of fundaments of the 12^th Century Moorish mosque. More than a hundred years later, it was finished. Later, in the 16th, 17th and 19th Centuries, more constructions were added. This explains the many baroque, neoclassical and renaissance details in the mainly gothic cathedral.
One way you can still see the cathedral has formerly been a mosque, is the Patio de las Naranjas. In Moorish times, people could wash their hands and feet before prayer, in the fountain that's located in the middle.

You feel a bit like Quasimodo: the bells, the bells

After you've seen the cathedral, you are expected to climb the Giralda tower. This beautiful tower is 96 meters in height. You don't have to climb any stairs for this, there is a ramp all the way to the top. The ramp was constructed in such a way that it was possible to ride to the top of the tower on horseback.

From the top you have a wonderful view over the city of Sevilla. Preferably, you visit the cathedral and the Giralda after you've seen a lot of other sights of Sevilla. That way, you'll be able to recognize the places you've seen before.

Nice, a swimming pool on top of your house

Inside the cathedral, you'll find the tomb of Columbus (Colón in Spanish). Well, it's not exactly a tomb. There is a chest, carried by four knights. These knights resemble the kingdoms of Castilla, León, Aragón and Navarra. Too bad for photographers, Columbus rests in the darkest place of the cathedral, it's almost impossible to get a decent photograph (without using a flash).

The Sevilla cathedral has a large treasury. Here they keep a large quantity of silver and gold items and a lot of relics. The silver and gold items are, no doubt, very expensive. Still, we don't like them. Yuk, kitsch. And the guys who 'made' the relics, should have paid more attention at the anatomy lessons.

Inside the treasury

Next to the treasury, there is a Moorish looking room. It's empty, except for the fountain in the middle. The picture above is just a joke, there isn't any water in the fountain. So, when we left the cathedral, we were still thirsty and headed for the nearest bar to have coffee.

Giralda by night

At night, the Giralda is beautifully lit. When you're walking through the city, there are many places from which you can see the tower. And at night, this really gives you a feeling of WOW !