Catedral de Sevilla

About Catedral de Sevilla

Construction began in 1401 on the demolished mosque's site, taking over a century to complete. The Giralda minaret was retained for its architectural quality and topped with a Renaissance bell chamber in the sixteenth century; Columbus's remains were transferred to the cathedral from Cuba in 1899.

Overview The Cathedral of Seville is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world by volume and the third-largest Christian church overall. Construction began in 1401 on the footprint of the city's Great Mosque, demolished after the Christian reconquest, and the project took over a century to complete. The Giralda — the former minaret of the mosque, converted into a bell tower — is the cathedral's most visible feature and the defining element of the Seville skyline. The cathedral's interior contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus, whose remains were transferred here from Cuba in 1899.

The Story Behind It The decision to build the cathedral was, according to contemporary accounts, accompanied by the declaration that the church would be so large that future generations would think the builders mad. Whether or not that account is accurate, the ambition was real: the cathedral covers an area of roughly 23,500 square meters and has eighty chapels. The Giralda minaret, preserved because it was considered one of the finest buildings in the Islamic world and because the chapter recognized the engineering difficulty of demolishing it, was topped with a Renaissance bell chamber in the sixteenth century. The resulting hybrid — Islamic shaft, Renaissance crown — is architecturally unusual and entirely successful.

What You'll Experience The interior's scale is the primary experience: the nave is 42 meters high and the crossing even higher, producing a vast dimly lit volume that makes individual chapels feel intimate by contrast. The Columbus tomb — four heraldic figures carrying the coffin on their shoulders — is theatrically over-scaled in a way that suits its subject. The Giralda ascent is via a series of ramps rather than stairs, built so that horses could be ridden to the top for the muezzin's call; the view from the top over Seville's rooflines is one of the best in the city. The Patio de los Naranjos — the mosque's former ablutions courtyard, now planted with orange trees — provides a shaded transition between the street and the cathedral.

Getting There The cathedral is in the center of Seville's historic district, a short walk from the Alcázar palace. The nearest metro is Puerta Jerez. A combined ticket covers the cathedral and the Alcázar; booking ahead is recommended in spring and summer.