Alcázar of Seville, Seville, Spain

The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace, built for the Christian king Peter of Castile. It was built by Castilian Christians on the site of an Abbadid Muslim residential fortress destroyed after the Christian conquest of Seville. The palace, a pre-eminent example of Mudéjar architecture in the Iberian Peninsula, is renowned as one of the most beautiful. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as their official residence in Seville, and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The original nucleus of the Alcázar was constructed in the 10th century as the palace of the Muslim governor. Built and rebuilt from the early Middle Ages right up to our times, it consists of a group of palatial buildings and extensive gardens. The Alcázar embraces a rare compendium of cultures where areas of the original Almohad palace - such as the 'Patio del Yeso' or the 'Jardines del Crucero' - coexist with the Palacio de Pedro I representing Spanish Mudejar art, together with other constructions displaying every cultural style from the Renaissance to the Neoclassical.

Some gardens have Renaissance statues. After damage by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, that façade of the Palacio Gótico overlooking the Patio del Crucero was completely renovated in Baroque style.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

robin darch (9 months ago)
Really worth going and really worth going early ,booking in advance or like us taking the opportunity to jump the queue with a guided tour. Reckon we saved 45 to 60 mins. This actually made the place more enjoyable listening to the history, the stories, the craftsmanship and hearing about the recent Game of thrones filming. Once we had finished the tour we were at our leisure to explore the best bits again. A highlight of Seville for sure.

Jose Lucina (10 months ago)
Simply beautiful. I loved the elaborate mix of Muslim and Christian design work throughout the entire facility. Its not common to see the two living in harmony in the media today, but on these walls it is enshrined that at some time in the past our two cultures were friends (even though only for a short time). Please take a tour so that you can notice the subtle designs and the brevity of their significance.

Ray Forgianni (10 months ago)
This World Heritage site is a sleeper, far better than expected. Not as large as Alhambra but more intense in its beauty. Great examples of both Moorish architecture & finishes as well as renaissance. Wonderful interior plazas. But the real surprise was the extensive and diverse gardens. Flowers, palms, mazes, peacocks. Bring good walking shoes because it is bigger than you think.

shadee vernet (10 months ago)
This palace is BEAUTIFUL. I am so glad we did the detour to come check it out. We went just before closing and that was perfect... Less people and noise. They let you stay about 1h after closing. You can actually enjoy the visit. I'm also a GOT fan so I was excited. The architecture and artistry that was put in this structure is amazing. Everything from the walls, gardens, the facades.. amazing. If you don't go see it, you'll regret it. It's a must just for it's beauty !

Larry Taylor (10 months ago)
This is an amazing place! Palace after connected Palace showing art decor and magnificent gardens. I can try to describe it and show pictures, but would not do it justice. This is one the places you must see while in Seville, Spain. It is so rich in history influenced by Muslim to Christianity. A UNESCO world heritage site, its something you must see. Just breathtaking.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Alexxx1979

Historic Site of the week

Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg. The church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory. Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.

Architecturally, the Cathedral differs from St. Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics — according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day — including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known (born in St. Petersburg in 1842 in a Baltic-German Lutheran family). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat and from starvation and illness. The church suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Saviour on Potatoes.

In July 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funneled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship; it is a Museum of Mosaics. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship; having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated tsar, the only services were panikhidas (memorial services). The Church is now one of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

Alcázar of Seville

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

The Beauty of Cinque Terre

Must-See Historic Places in Córdoba

Historic Site of the week

Church of the Savior on Blood

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?