Sevilla (Part I)
So far, in my life time, I have had the wonderful opportunity to visit the enchanting city of Seville four times and each time the charm of the town enthralls me.
It is a city deeply steeped with history and the intermingling of three religions: Catholic, Jewish and Muslim, all intertwined in an act of mutual acceptance and convenience. It really took all three cultures to effectively run a Kingdom in the 1400 and 1500’s.
But for me, the majesty is in the architecture; from the Roman aqueduct (which still stands today in partial repair), and other Roman ruins, to the Jewish quarter in the downtown area of Seville, with its narrow streets built purposefully to ensure that shade was optimized for the hot summer months, to the beautiful churches and cathedrals built by and funded by the faithful Catholics of the city. This not only goes for the city of Sevilla, but other cities in the Andalucian province, like Cordoba, Granada, Cadiz and Jerez de la Frontera (more on these cities in future blogs).
The Jewish quarter or district (also referred to at the Barrio Santa Cruz), began with the construction of a wall during medieval times that separated Jews from the rest of the city. You can find some of the most interesting architecture in the city here. Beautiful patios filled with potted flowering plants and trees set in front of splendid tiled walls, many of them decorated with the characteristic Muslim motifs that are so unique to Sevilla, and framed within towering archways that seem to be erected to keep the coolness from escaping out of the courtyards.
Example of a Flower Decorated Patio
There is a familiar scent of orange blossoms wafting through the air as you walk the alleyways searching for the right sangria to cool you down. The waves of summer heat are punctuated by the multitude of orange trees planted throughout the city. The area is also resplendent with date trees.
You can walk all the narrow streets of the Jewish quarter and see something new at each turn. You will also be hard pressed to see everything on a day.
The other wonder of the area, within walking distance from the Barrio is the Sevilla cathedral, who’s proper name is Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See. It is a grand and magnificent block long structure filled with architectural delights and exquisite art, both painted as well as sculpted.
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, Seville, Spain
It is the fourth-largest church in the world, as well as the largest Gothic church ever constructed.
Seville’s Cathedral was the site of the baptism of Infante 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 (from the Muslims) Ferdinand III of Castile, his son and heir Alfonso the Wise and their descendant king Peter the Just. There are funerary monuments of several of the eras’ cardinals as well in the many outlining chapels of the church.
A special treat, and unexpected by me, was to see the tomb of Christopher Columbus and his son Diego just inside the door of Seville’s massive cathedral. His tomb is held aloft by four figures representing the four kingdoms of Spain during Columbus’ time, Castille, Aragon, Navara and Leon. The tomb was one of the last additions to the cathedral, installed in 1899.
Tomb of Christopher Columbus
The cathedral is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
