The Cathedral of Seville

Formally known as “Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede”.
Like many of the Spanish churches this cathedral was built on the site where the main Mosque of the Moorish period was located. In 1401 The Cathedral Council decided to rebuild their cathedral after the earthquake of 1356.This church is the largest gothic cathedral in the world (76 by 115 meters the centre rises to 42 meters).The sheer size of the building gave the architects leeway in the gothic expression of the church. The initial architect of the cathedral was Alonso Martinez who was followed by one architect after another until 1511 when the building collapsed. The Cathedral was then taken over by Juan Gil de Hontañon, who progressed until the 16th century.

In 1195 the Giralda (Belfry) was built. The lower part of the Giralda is the original Islamic design of the minaret of the mosque; the Belfry was added by the Spanish in the reconstruction of the building.

Inside the Cathedral there are many places to visit such as Murillo’s rendering of saint Anthony of Prada, Christopher Columbus’s Tomb supported by four statues which represent the four kingdoms of Spain; containing the longest nave in Spain and decorated lavishly with gold. The central portion of the nave has a “coro” (choir) which is boxlike and stands out, filling the centre portion of the nave. There are 45 carved scenes of Christ carved by Pierre Dancart; Also Built by Dancart is the richest altar piece in the world with beautifully handcrafted woodcarvings.

This Cathedral was built to demonstrate the city’s wealth after becoming Spain’s largest trade centre. The Church Council was recorded saying "we shall have a church so great and of such a kind that those who see it built will think we were mad."