Adventures in Spain: Day 7
Warning today's adventure to the Cathedral Of Seville and the Royal Alcázar is going to be filled with so many pictures. The views and senary demanded I look at the world around me so there are so many pictures.
Our first stop of the day was Cathedral Of Seville & La Giralda for the first tour of the day. The Cathedral Of Seville is the largest church in the world, after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was built on the site where once a Moorish mosque, built by the Almohads, stood. This mosque was taken from the Moors in 1248 and was then used as a cathedral. In the 13th century, the mosque was destroyed, except for the orange court, and the La Giralda tower. Construction of the cathedral began in 1403 and was completed in 1507. Seville Cathedral was built in a five-aisled cruciform. The cathedral is 127 metres long, 83 meters wide and 43 meters high!
Following on the heals of how tall the building is; J and I got to take the rooftops tour of the Cathedral which means we got to enter the cathedral before it was truly open to the public. We got to hear the organ and the morning call to mass, listen to the bells toll while on the roof and have some truly spectacular views of the city. It was so very amazing and a great way to spend the morning. Also we got to hear about how the rooftop drainage works which was fun for me!
The white lines on the roof of Seville Cathedral are blueprint-like markings that helped builders construct the cathedral. The white lines were used as guides for builders to lay out structural elements like flying buttresses. All of the arches were hand carved so having the templates allowed for clear communication among the builders!
The views of La Giralda from the roof were divine! I feel very grateful to have gotten to see the city and the history from this perspective!
When we came down from the roof we got to visit the orange garden and see some of the original architecture that was not torn down to build the Cathedral.
Inside the cathedral we got to see the organ, altars, and the tomb of Christopher Columbus that was built in Cuba. The whole space was filled with a hum of history.
After a coffee break our next stop was the Royal Alcázar of Sevilla. The following details about the Royal Alcázar were gleaned from the tour materials. The Royal Alcázar was formerly the site of the Islamic-era citadel of the city, begun in the 10th century and then developed into a larger palace complex by the Abbadid dynasty (11th century) and the Almohads (12th to early 13th centuries). After the Castilian conquest of the city in 1248, the site was progressively rebuilt and replaced by new palaces and gardens. The upper stories of the Alcázar are still occupied by the royal family when they visit Seville.
For lunch we ventured out to Maestro Marcelino ham shop. This was such a fun experience! The food was delish and it was mostly filled out by locals who were enjoying the afternoon!
After this adventure we were so tired. We had wanted to go out and explore but we only made it to the roof top of our hotel before we called it. We instead got room service delivered and rested our feet after the previous seven days of walking!
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