One of the perks of being at an immersive language school is the extracurricular activities. Each weekend the school (in concert with other local language schools) arranges an optional excursion. This weekend we went to Seville.
Six hours is nowhere near enough time for Seville, but that was the time I had, and what I saw of it was beautiful. More pictures at the bottom of this post!
The cathedral there is the largest cathedral in the world (and 3rd largest church). It was built over about one hundred years and has had multiple additions/refurbishments so it’s an interesting mix of different styles. The bell tower used to be the minaret for a mosque, and the contrast between the older Moorish architecture and the Renaissance addition is obvious.
Seville is also home to the Reales Alcázares, the oldest European palace still in use. The original portions of the palace were also built by the Moors. There are lots of similarities in the Moorish section of the Alcázares to the Nasrid Palace in the Alhambra here in Granada. Because Seville’s palace has been continually in use as a royal residence for so long, it’s both in better and worse shape than the Alhambra. The buildings have been continually maintained, and much of the old Moorish sections have been preserved or restored across time. On the other hand, because it’s been used by successive royals, many parts have been modified across time, too. So, you see symbols for Castile, Leon, and Aragon nestled in with Moorish geometrical designs. Charles V added his stamp all over as well, with his double-headed eagle coat of arms and signature “PLVS VLTRA” motto in tiles, tapestries, etc. all over the place.
While we were waiting to enter the Real Alcázares, two people started dancing the flamenco:
