Archivo General de Indias
Sevilla’s monopoly trade with the New World generated a mountain of paperwork that eventually ended up here. This austere, 16th-century building was designed by the architect of the Escorial, Juan de Herrera, originally as the Stock Exchange (Lonja de Mercaderes). The chains that separate it from the cathedral next door demarcate the jurisdictions of God and Mammon. When the city’s trading fortunes began to wane, the building became Sevilla’s Academy of Art, with Murillo among its founders. Then in 1785, during the reign of Carlos III, it was turned over for use as the records office for the Indies and amassed millions of pages on miles of shelving.
Today, most of the documents are safely stored in air-conditioned vaults nearby—the boxes lining the shelves are empty. Exhibits include letters between Columbus and his patron Isabel and from Cervantes to the king, unsuccessfully seeking a posting abroad before he discovered his true calling. Free and queue-free, these cool marble halls are a relaxing place to pause after the cathedral and Alcázar.
Sevilla’s monopoly trade with the New World generated a mountain of paperwork that eventually ended up here. This austere, 16th-century building was designed by the architect of the Escorial, Juan de Herrera, originally as the Stock Exchange (Lonja de Mercaderes). The chains that separate it from the cathedral next door demarcate the jurisdictions of God and Mammon. When the city’s trading fortunes began to wane, the building became Sevilla’s Academy of Art, with Murillo among its founders. Then in 1785, during the reign of Carlos III, it was turned over for use as the records office for the Indies and amassed millions of pages on miles of shelving.
Today, most of the documents are safely stored in air-conditioned vaults nearby—the boxes lining the shelves are empty. Exhibits include letters between Columbus and his patron Isabel and from Cervantes to the king, unsuccessfully seeking a posting abroad before he discovered his true calling. Free and queue-free, these cool marble halls are a relaxing place to pause after the cathedral and Alcázar.
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