Description of the attraction
The huge Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria - the third largest in Europe after St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in London - was built in the early 15th century on the site of a former mosque. Its construction took over a century. The highest vault height is 56 meters. The Royal Renaissance Chapel with an ornate dome contains the tombs of Alfonso X and his mother.
The altar, decorated with beautiful lattices in the plateresque style, amazes with its luxury. The huge altarpiece of the work of the Flemish master is covered with gold. Every year on December 8, on the eve of the holiday of the Holy Mysteries, children in page costumes sing and dance a minuet here, continuing the centuries-old traditions. On the right side of the cathedral is the tombstone of Christopher Columbus, supported by the figures of four kings representing Castile, Aragon, Navarre and Leon.
The Orange Courtyard, where believers performed ablution before prayer, and the Gate of Forgiveness, which were once the entrance to the mosque, have survived from the old mosque. The minaret was rebuilt in 1568 into a five-tiered column - the famous Giralda tower. Now on the tower, at a height of almost 90 meters, there is an observation deck, from where a magnificent view of Seville and the Guadalquivir opens. The rise in the tower is carried out along a gentle ramp without steps.
