Description of the attraction
The City Hall (Ayuntamiento) of Seville was built between 1527 and 1564. Located almost in the center of the city, between the beautiful Plaza de Nueva and Plaza de San Francisco, this building is today considered one of the most beautiful in the city.
The building was erected according to the project of the architect Diego de Riaño, under whose leadership the construction of the Cathedral of Seville was completed. Elements and techniques typical of the Renaissance and Spanish plateresque styles are intertwined in the appearance of the building.
The eastern facade of the building, facing San Francisco Square, is made in the plateresque style. The facade is richly decorated with floral ornaments, pilasters, balustrades, relief images of historical and mythical figures and beautiful, graceful stucco moldings. The facade is also decorated with images of the heraldic emblems of Hercules and Caesar, according to legend, considered the founders of the city. Initially, the main entrance to the building was carried out precisely from the side of San Francisco Square. In the 19th century, the building was restored under the direction of the architects Demetrio de los Rios and Balbino Braun, who created a new western façade in the neoclassical style overlooking the Plaza de Nueva. In the course of construction work, the main entrance to the building was moved to its facade from the Plaza de Nueva. Famous sculptors Pedro Lopez Domingos, Jose Rodriguez Ordonez and Manuel Echegoyan also took part in the implementation of the project.
The City Hall houses the city archive, which contains information about the history of Seville since the reign of the Catholic kings.
