Story
The story of Seville Cathedral
When it was completed in the early 16th century, Seville Cathedral took from Hagia Sophia the title of largest cathedral in the world, a title the Byzantine church had held for a thousand years. Its story began differently: in 1172 the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf ordered a grand mosque on this spot, and after Ferdinand III conquered Seville the mosque was converted into the city's cathedral.
In July 1401 city leaders decided to replace it with a new one. According to local oral tradition, the cathedral chapter wanted a church so beautiful and so grand that those who saw it finished would take them for mad.
The Gothic section alone is 126 m long, with a central nave 36 m high. Look up at the Giralda, rising 104.5 m to its weather vane, then find the royal chapel with the remains of Ferdinand III and Alfonso the Wise, and the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
This story is compiled from Wikipedia and other open sources; dates and numbers are checked against the source. The text is shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Source ↗
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- GiraldaThe Giralda is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain.
- Torre del OroThe Torre del Oro is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain. It was erected by the Almohad Caliphate in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river.
- Parque de María LuisaThe Parque de María Luisa (María Luisa Park) is a public park that stretches along the Guadalquivir River in Seville, Spain. It is Seville's principal green area.
- General Archive of the IndiesThe Archivo General de Indias, often simply called the Archive of the Indies, was created by Charles III and inaugurated in 1785. It is housed in the former merchant guild building in Seville, Spain, built in the late 16th century.
- Plaza de EspañaThe Plaza de España ("Spain Square", in English) is a plaza in Maria Luisa Park in Seville, Spain.
- Isabel II BridgeThe Puente de Isabel II, Puente de Triana or Triana Bridge, is a metal arch bridge in Seville, Spain, that connects the Triana neighbourhood with the centre of the city.