Seville Hotels

Seville, Spain - Sights & Things To Do

• 1. La Maestranza

  The pitting of hombre against toro is far from exclusive to Andalucia, but the region is still seen as the spiritual heart of bullfighting, since it was here that the form and substance of the corrida were developed. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Seville’s bullring, La Maestranza. Located in El Arenal (the old port area) it has been called the Cathedral of Bullfighting: not as big as Las Ventas in Madrid but regarded by aficionados as the most beautiful and important in the world. The enormous complex contains offices, apartments and a museum, with the main arena holding 13500 people. Begun in 1761, it took an incredible 119 years to complete. During this period other buildings encroached on the site, so the architects had to create an oval shaped structure to accommodate them. The bullfighting season begins on Easter Monday and continues daily through the Feria de Abril. During May and June there are corridas only on Sunday. They are just as gory as advertised, so think carefully before deciding to attend one. If you’ve decided to do so, also think carefully about where you want to sit – in particular whether you want to be in the sol (sun) or sombra (shade). Sol is always cheaper than sombra, but that’s largely due to the fact that most of the action will take place in shade, further away from your vantage point.

  Regardless of which side you choose there are also different types of seating. Filas are the seats in the front three rows. Little more than concrete benches, they are uncomfortable but allow a close up view of the action. The next few rows are known as tendidos. They offer more comfort but you’ll have to put up with more obstructions to your view as various people, including beer vendors, walk past.

  A typical corrida lasts for at least a couple of hours, during which time six bulls are killed. Despite the size of La Maestranza, its incredible acoustics allow you to hear everything that takes place, wherever you are sitting. Even if you don’t want to see a bullfight, the Museo de la Maestranza contains the heads of slain animals, posters, matadors’ jackets and other toro-related memorabilia. All around this area are atmospheric old spit-and-sawdust bars that pack out before and after corridas.

• 2. Catedral

  Until the early 1400s the Christians of Seville worshipped at the 12th century Almohad mosque (The Almohads were the North African Berber dynasty who established the greatest empire of the western Islamic world.) By 1401 the building had deteriorated so much that the church authorities resolved to replace it with a magnificent new structure. Although it was Gothic in design the architects were constrained by the floorplans of the original mosque, so it partly retained its Almohads flavour.Construction began in 1434 and was not completed until 1517.

  Today the Catedral is considered the largest church in the world – bigger in volume than St Peter’s in Rome. Its exterior is dominated by enormous double flying buttresses, and by vast Roman pillars, connected with huge metal chains. It also retains the original entrance to the old mosque, the Puerta del Pérdon, whose 12th century bronze doorways bear inscriptions from the Koran. Inside, the tops of the columns soar towards the ceiling and enormous arches sweep across the tops of the naves. But the most dominant feature is the main altar in the Capilla Mayor, which contains more than 1000 sculptures in wood and gold depicting 45 scenes from the Bible. At the north-east corner of the cathedral, once again recalling its Moorish origins, is the Giraldo: a minaret more than 91 metres high, topped off by an ornate weathervane, that remains the city’s symbol. Don’t be put off climbing the minaret by its immense height. It contains gently inclining ramps inside, installed to allow the muezzin to ride his horse to the top five times a day when calling the faithful to prayer.

• 3. Alcázar Palace

  Across the Plaza del Triunfo from the cathedral is the entrance to the Alcázar palace and grounds: one of the finest examples of 14th-century Moorish architecture in the world. Originally the dwelling of King Pedro I (known as ‘The Cruel’) and his mistress, its exterior conveys the impression of a fortress. In keeping with Moorish custom the palace is divided into public and private domains. Among the public areas, the Patio de la Monteria (Hunting Courtyard) and the Patio de las Doncellas are the most striking. The latter perfectly displays the different cultural and architectural styles that were present in Andalucia at the time, with Muslim artists from Granada working alongside Mudéjar carpenters from Toledo, while the former features arches supported by matching marble columns and beautiful the 14th century tiling. Passing through numerous bedrooms and salas, you reach the gardens, which are among the loveliest in Spain. Huge palms tower over the paths, flowers and fishponds, and birdsong fills the air in all seasons. The gardens are a combination of Moorish design and later Italian influence, resulting in trickling streams and little fountains interspersed with gaudy grottoes and wildly staring sculptures.