Spain Trip Report Day 6: Seville

Nov 26, Thursday, 2015:

 Seville:

We had a comfortable 3 hour bus trip from Granada and reached Seville bus station by 1 pm. 

Hotel Convento La Gloria:

Our hotel Hotel Convento La Gloria, a restored 15^th century convent is 1.3 km from bus station. We got a taxi and reached it. 

Got the cathedral view big room with a window/balcony opening onto the street! The rest of the rooms don’t have windows as it was a convent!

The hotel is a museum in itself with typical Andalusian tiles on ceilings and stairs, religious art, antique furniture…loved it! 

Rich religious families of that era had sent their 2^nd daughters to Convents but they sent special carpenters to make good furniture and make the room as comfortable and beautiful as possible. There was even a maid to take care of chores.

We stayed here Nov 26-28 and loved the whole experience. Loved all the antiques strewn everywhere in the hotel. Took a taxi from the bus station for coming in from Granada and day trip to Cordoba and for the airport for our flight to Madrid. Walked within the lovely city and our stay was enhanced by this heritage hotel so close to the Giralda!

We went to the cathedral which is just a stone’s throw away after check in. 

Seville Cathedral:

Catedral de Sevilla (Seville Cathedral) is the largest Gothic cathedral in Christendom, the third-largest when compared to the Neoclassical Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and Saint Paul's Cathedral in London.

 It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, constructed between 1402 and 1506 on the site of the town's 12th-century principal mosque.  It’s a symbol of Christian Reconquest over the Moors.

The Giralda Tower was originally the minaret of the mosque built in the 12th century by Almohad Moorish rulers. This 93-meter-high tower of the cathedral is still the emblem of Seville. 

To arrive at the cathedral, we walk through the Patio de los Naranjos (Patio of Orange Trees), which was the forecourt of the mosque. 

The octagonal fountain in the center is a remnant of the Islamic midha, the fountain for religious ablutions.

 The five-aisled interior extends 117 m in length and 76 m across and soars to 40 m in height. 

The Capilla Mayor (Main Chapel) features a resplendent retablo, a masterpiece of Gothic woodcarving; the 20-meter-tall main altarpiece is gilded with the finest gold brought back from the New World during the age of Christopher Columbus. In the center is a silver image of the Virgen de la Sede surrounded by 45 scenes from the Life of Christ and the Life of the Virgin.

EXQUISITE!

This is the gold ceiling reflected in the mirror.

In the south transept stands a striking monument to Christopher Columbus.

The sacristy/Treasury is beyond words.

 Sacristy and Treasury

Entered through an antechamber from the Capilla Mayor, the splendid Plateresque-style sacristy contains a famous crucifix by Montañés as well as celebrated paintings by Spanish masters Francisco de Goya, etc. 

Within the sacristy is the treasury, a smaller chamber filled with exquisite religious art objects, including a large candelabrum and a crucifix by Pieter de Kempeneer, a precious gem-adorned crown of the Virgen de los Reyes and the 13th-century Clave de Sevilla (Key of Seville)

This is mother of pearl box...

When we visited around 2 PM there was hardly anybody in the huge cathedral. We were quite pleasantly surprised by the English/Spanish boards in quite a few areas giving pieces of info

We had read up on the cathedral and had our own notes and it was a great 3 hours 

Then we went to climb the bell tower.

La Giralda (Bell Tower)

This iconic Moorish tower is the most emblematic landmark in Seville. Formerly an Islamic Minaret, the Giralda Tower is one of the few remaining elements of the original Great Mosque that was replaced by the cathedral. 

The tower was built in the 12th century by Islamic rulers of the Almohad dynasty, who hailed from the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. Brick section of the tower exemplifies Moorish design with its decorative arched niches and geometric patterns typical of buildings in Andalusia. At the top is the 16th-century El Giraldillo weather vane, an enormous bronze statue of a female figure bearing a cross to symbolize Faith.

 

At 5 pm we went over for the Giralda climb. The climb to the Giralda belfry was less intimidating than it appeared, thanks to the ramps sloped at comfortable angles. The wide ramps made it easy, there were halts with exhibits and info boards. 34 ramps take us to the top and the view is great.

At 5.45, the official requested us to make a move and we were the last to leave with him following us down.

This Bronze statue of a girl reading a book is for commemorating Clara Campoamor (born 1888) who fought for women's rights. There are plenty of such pretty statues and art all around!

That was the end of a fabulous day.

http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/07/spain-trip-report-day-7-cordoba.html

covers our day trip to Córdoba