By Melissa Gerdts
The city of Seville was absolutely stunning in every way. During the Muslim rule in Spain, Seville came under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate of Córdoba before becoming the independent Taifa of Seville; later it was ruled by the Muslim Almoravids and the Almohads until finally being incorporated into the Christian Kingdom of Castile under Ferdinand III in 1248. After the reconquest of the city, the Moors’ Palace became the Real Alcazar, with the first major gothic reforms completed by Alfonso X, which still exist today. King Pedro of Castille later decided to build the wonderful Mudéjar Palace that stands as the dominant part of the Alcazar. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as their official residence in Seville.
Puerta del Leon (main entrance)
The most striking section of the alcazar was The Patio de las Doncellas, meaning “The Courtyard of the Maidens”, which refers to the legend that the Moors demanded 100 virgins every year as tribute from Christian kingdoms in Iberia. In the center is a large, rectangular reflecting pool with sunken gardens on either side.
Patio de las Doncellas
It is surrounded by beautifully decorated rectangular halls ornamented with carved wood doors, ceilings, and richly painted azulejos (Islamic style ceramic tiles). The lower level of the patio was built for King Peter of Castile and includes inscriptions describing Peter as a “sultan.” His bedroom on the bottom floor used to be the summer bedroom because it was fresh and protected from the heat.
Next, the Salon de Embajadores, meaning The Ambassadors Reception Room, was the main room that King Peter I used for his stay at the Alcazar. This room was the most richly decorated within the entire palace and was used to welcome important royal guests. The magnificent wood cupola with elaborated carvings and geometrical patterns was emblematic of the strength and power of the Christian king. It was absolutely breathtaking to see the detail placed into the small wooden pieces of the cupola, and made you feel so tiny as the dome stretched outwards towards the heavens. A panel of small paintings of all of the Spanish kings since Alfonso X surrounded the entire room.
Furthermore, the Admiral’s Room still holds events for the royal palace and the crest of the Royal Alcazar is engraved in the older wooden benches in the back of the room. The altarpiece preserved in the Admiral’s Quarters is dedicated to the Virgin of the Seafarers. This altarpiece was created by Alejo Fernández in 1536 and is suggested that it represents Christopher Columbus as fulfilling biblical prophecy to bring the Christian message to all the peoples of the world. As the Spanish navy was incredibly powerful, this archetype of the virgin is depicted in many places around Spain.
We also were able to stroll through the stunning gardens where we ran into a lovely peacock, some beautiful fountains, and vibrant greenery!
