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The Best Historic Architecture
Seville Cathedral, Seville: This is the largest Gothic structure on the planet and the third-largest church in Europe, topped only by St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London. "Let us build a cathedral so immense that everyone on beholding it will take us for madmen," the chaplain said when workers were tearing down an ancient mosque to erect this splendid edifice. This cathedral is one of the last to be built in the Gothic style, but it also shows obvious Renaissance motifs. Works of art abound, including magnificent stained-glass windows from the 15th century. The Treasury contains art by such Spanish masters as Goya, Murillo, and Zurbarán.
Giralda Tower, Seville: Next to the cathedral, this Muslim tower conjures up Seville the way the Eiffel Tower conjures up Paris. It was constructed in the 12th century, modeled after the Koutoubia in Marrakech and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. Amazingly, the Christian overlords allowed this Moorish tower to stand with certain alterations. The top story, which has a Renaissance motif, was added in the 16th century. From its top, one of the great city views in all Spain is visible.
Alcázar, Seville: Ordered constructed by Pedro the Cruel, this splendid 14th-century mudéjar palace is the oldest royal residence in Europe still in use. It lies north of the cathedral. Some remains of the original Alcázar of the Almohads can still be seen. Centuries of architects and builders have produced an ornate complex of pavilions, fountains, pools, patios, and ornamental gardens. Residents Ferdinand and Isabella, who received Columbus here, greatly influenced its architecture. Moorish influences join forces with Gothic, Renaissance, and baroque elements, yet it all comes together harmoniously with its own very particular charm.
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, Córdoba: One of Spain's greatest examples of military architecture was commissioned in 1328 by Alfonso XI. Ferdinand and Isabella lived here at this fortress on the Río Guadalquivir as they made plans to send their armies to conquer Granada. The complex is distinguished by its towers, Torre de los Leones and Torre de Homenaje, the former containing intricately carved ogival ceilings that are the most notable examples of Gothic architecture in Andalusia. The gardens still show their Moorish origins, a vast architectural complex of landscaping, fountains, and pools.
Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, Córdoba: This is a 1,200-year-old masterwork by a succession of caliphs that is one of the architectural wonders of Europe. Its interior is a virtual forest of pillars and red-and-white candy-striped Moorish horseshoe arches. The phantasmagoric rows of columns stretch in every direction. In the midst of it all, as impossible as it sounds, is a florid cathedral in a Gothic and Renaissance architectural motif. This wonder is the third-largest mosque in the world, even though it hasn't been used as such since 1236. This Great Mosque, the crowning glory of Muslim architecture in the West, is reason enough to visit Córdoba.
The Alhambra, Granada: Set against the snowcapped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, the Alhambra is one of the most fabled landmarks in the world, evoking a fantasy of 1,001 Arabian Nights. It is the single-most visited attraction in all of Andalusia. It was the last bastion of luxury living for the Nasrid kings, the last Muslim rulers of Spain, and their harems filled with dancing girls. The palace-fortress is girded by more than 1.6km (1 mile) of ramparts, enclosing a virtual royal city. Actually the Alhambra is a series of three palaces of architectural wonder, with courtyards, fountains, fanciful halls, and scalloped windows framing vistas. The oldest section is the Alcazaba, dating from the 9th century.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
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