“Let us build a church so large and so grand that those who see it built will think we’re mad.” This legendary phrase, uttered by the canons of Seville back in 1401, captures the spirit that inspired Seville to build the largest cathedral in Spain and one of the largest in the world.
Seville Cathedral was originally a mosque from the Almohad period, dating back to the 12th century. That’s why the current cathedral is so large, because they adapted the old mosque into a Catholic church and maintained the gigantic dimensions of the Muslim temple.
Gothic-style cathedrals in Europe typically have three naves, three spaces, but Seville’s has five, plus two more that house chapels.
Furthermore, its tower, which was once a Muslim minaret, also makes it distinctive. Its main body was built in the 12th century, and its bell tower in the 16th century. Therefore, we have the Muslim Almohad style alongside the Renaissance in the same tower.
But its evolution continued until the 20th century, so we must add to the Mudejar style of its tower and its courtyard, and the Gothic and Renaissance of its first adaptations to a Catholic temple, the Baroque, the Neoclassical as well as the Neo-Gothic.
And inside… Nothing more and nothing less than the largest altar in Christendom, called the Golden Bible, as well as the remains of Christopher Columbus and more surprises. Are you going to miss it? Book our Cathedral tour.
