Sightseeing Tour
Religious architecture
Seville is a city with a large number of churches, all of them of splendid beauty and behind whose walls we'll find true works of art. We'd like to make special mention of two Basilicas: the Basílica de la Macarena (Basilica of Macarena) and the Basílica del Gran Poder (Basilica of the Great Power).The Archdiocese of Seville has the largest number of Monasteries for women in all of Spain. Presently there are nineteen enclosed convents left of the thirty the city once had.
- The most famous
- Churches
- Convents
- Others
The Most Famous
Cathedral & Giralda
Website: www.catedralsevilla.org
Address: Plaza Virgen de los Reyes.
Price: 7 euros.
Since its construction, The Cathedral of Seville cathedral holds the title of Magna Hispalensis, not only for being one of the greatest Gothic building to ever exist, but also for being one of the most colossal of Christendom.
It went declared a national monument in 1928 and granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1987.
Its appearance is product of the successive happened enlargements and transformations since the original mosque was razed by the Almohads. Today the only remains of the mosque can be seen in the Patio de los Naranjos and the minaret (Giralda), from where can enjoy a beautiful view of the city.
UpChurches
Church of la Macarena
Address: Calle San Pablo s/n
Price: free.
This was a former Dominican convent of Saint Paul and is a magnificent example of late baroque Sevillian architecture. The whole church is decorated with wall paintings, dating from the end of the 18th century. The most remarkable aspect is the decoration of the dome, depicting images of the four evangelist’s scenes from the Old testament, attributed to Pedro Roldán.
UpChurch of San Luis
Address: C/ San Luis
Price: free
The church of San Luis, constructed between years 1699 and 1731, constitutes the best representation of the baroque style in Seville. Located on the former site of the home of Messer’s Mr. Enríquez de Riera, the land for its construction was yielded gratuitously by Doña Lucia de Medina to the Company of Jesus for the construction of novitiate, with the condition that the temple be devoted to Saint Luis, King of France, and that she buried in the main chapel.
UpChurch of Santa Ana
Address: C/ Vázquez de Leca, 1
Price: free
Founded by Alfonso X The Wise who, according to the tradition, ordered its construction in gratitude to the Virgin who had cured him of a sick eye. It is considered to be the oldest church in Triana. The construction most probably occurred between was 1270 to 1284. This church enjoys moments of maximum splendour, not only during the Holy Week processions, the Divine Shepherdess or when Our Lady of Hope of Triana approaches its door on the morning of Good Friday, but also during the celebrations of Corpus Christi of Triana, held on the Sunday following the Corpus.
UpChurch of Santa María La Blanca
Address: C/ Santa Maria la Blanca, 5
Price: free
The origin of this date back to the 13th century when King Alfonso X in 1253, after his father had taken Seville, granted a synagogue to the Jews who inhabited the areas San Bartolome and Santa Cruz. This remained until the 14th century when in 1391 it became a Christian church. The Cathedral authorities intervened in the naming and devotion of the new church. The name and the invocation to the new temple the cathedral town hall prevailed. at this stage the church was adorned in Gothic style, which was predominating at the time.
UpChurch of The Shrine
Address: Avda. de la Constitución s/n
Constructed on the insistence of the archdeacon Vázquez de Leca, according to the plan that presented by Miguel de Zumárraga in 1616. Work began a year later, and continued after the death of Zumárraga in 1651, under the direction of the foreman Fernando de Oviedo. Completed by Lorenzo Fernandez de Iglesias, who introduced some modifications and added new adornments. The building reflects certain courtly influences, mainly by the architect Gómez de Mora: rectangular floor, with a crossed outline from which the dome rises, and chapels between the robust inner abutments.
UpColegiate Church of El Salvador
Address: Plaza del Salvador s/n
In the place that today occupies this church, a mosque was once built in the 9th century during the reign of Abd al Rahman II, known as Idn- Addabas. The remains of this mosque can be seen in the Patio de Los Naranjos and the starting base of the tower. The building of this temple began in 1674 and was carried out by several artists, the last of which was Leonard of Figueroa, between 1696 and 1712, who completed the work, directing the roof of vaults and domes and the interior ornamentation.
Brotherhood of Passion (Holy Thursday).
UpConvents
Convent of San Clemente
Address: c/Santa Clara, 91
Price: 1,20 €
This Royal Monastery was founded by King and Saint Fernando and the Bishop Don Remondo on 1248, just after the conquest of the city. It thus has its own compass and jurisdiction and later became under the authority of the Arch Bishop of Seville. After its foundation, the son of King Fernando, King Alfonso X ordered construction to begin on a plot of land which long ago had housed the palaces of Bib-Ragel, and the first inhabitants arrived from the Convent of Las Huelgas Reales de Burgos. After many centuries, it belongs, at present, to the Order of the Cister.
The day of Asuncion (August 15th), the Virgen Muerta (Dead Virgen) is lead in procession, but the most important day belongs to the patron, Saint Clement.(November 23rd), when religious services are held all day long and open to the public. Saint Gertrudis also receives her particular lores days 20, 21 and 22 of November by this Order.
Convent of San Leandro
Address: Plaza de San Ildefonso, 1
Price: free
This community was founded in 1295, belonging to the Order of the Augustine Hermits. Built in 1369 under the reign of Pedro I. The conventual’s church dates from later centuries (16-17th), under the direction of the architect Juan de Oviedo. The front piece, severe and classicist in its line, gives way to the interior of the temple through an airy gate dating from 1729.
UpConvent of Santa Clara
Address: street Santa Clara, 40
This convent of Franciscans Clarises was, from its very origins, tied to the Castilian monarchy. It was founded in 1260. At that time, the community occupied housing around the no longer existing convent or Casa Grande de San Francisco (Great House of San Francisco), which currently stands in the Plaza Nueva. The houses were granted to the nuns by Sancho IV, which were part of the palace belonging to Prince Fadrique.
UpConvent of Santa Isabel
Address: street Hiniesta, 2
Price: 2 €
Founded in 1490 by Doña Isabel of Leon. The nuns belong to the Order of San Felipe Neri.
UpConvent of Santa Paula
Address:
Price: 2 €
History: Doña Ana de Santillán bought several houses next to the parish of San Roman for the Hieronymite monks of Buenavista. Together with those she already possessed, she requested permission of erection and devotion to Paulo II which was granted by King Sixto IV the 27 to it of January of 1473. Two years later she and her companions received their albipardo habits and holy orders. Towards 1493, Doña Isabel Enríquez came to Seville and ordered the construction of the church, thus acquiring burial rights for her and her family in the High Chapel.
UpOthers
Archbishop Palace
Address: Plaza Virgen de los Reyes s/n
The second most important baroque palace in Seville after San Telmo. Its origins date back to the time of Fernando III, who in 1251 conceded some houses on this plot of land to Don Remondo de Losana, the Bishop of Segovia, for his use in Seville. These houses are situated on former Almohad buildings, roman remains can be found at a further lower level.
UpBasílica of the Macarena
Website: www.hermandaddelamacarena.es
Address: c/ Becquer, 1
Price: 1,5 – 3 €
The Brotherhood of the Macarena was founded on 1595 in the Sevillian convent of Saint Basil as a hospitable congregation, whose aim was to attend to the sick, carry out charitable acts among its members and to practice the penance. His first station of penance was made 1624. The Brotherhood of the Macarena leaves at dawn in the procession on Good Friday, the figure of the Christ is escorted by a century of Roman soldiers in red velvet suits and helmets, known popularly as the "armaos" and whose origins date back to the 19th century.
UpCartuja Monastery
Address: Avda. Américo Vespucio, 2. Isla de la Cartuja
Price: 1,80 – 3 €
The Cartuja of Our Lady of the Caves, the orchards and gardens were restored to coincide with the celebration of the Universal Exhibition of 1992. This allowed recovering one of the most important monasteries of the city that was in a situation of total ruin and abandonment. For centuries, the Cartuja was a self-sufficient and continuously changed walled city, and closely tie to the city of Seville. Nowadays, the site displays the monkish nucleus of chimneys and industrial furnaces of the manufacturing era. In the gardens we can see a monument Christopher Columbus raised in 1887 by the widow of the Marquis of Pickman. Columbus lived in this monastery, and had friendship with fray Gaspar Gorricio, who he named legal guardian and spiritual advisor of his children. All the family and descendants of Columbus had good relations with the monastery.
upChapel of Señor del Gran Poder
Website: www.gran-poder.es
Address: Plaza de San Lorenzo, 13
Price: free
Here is the brotherhood of Nazarenes of Our Father Jesus of Great Power and Mª Santísima de Mayor Dolor y Traspaso. It was founded in 1431 in the old convent of Santo Domingo de Silos by the Dukes of Medina Sidonia. The brotherhood was located in various different places until 1703 when it was transferred to the Church of San Lorenzo, which remained its habitual seat until the construction of the present basilica. The new temple was constructed by the architect Delgado Roig y Balbotín, and completed in 1965, although the first station of penance made from the new temple did not take until place the following year. The building is a combination of Sevillian baroque architecture on the outside; while the interior has a centralised floor, similar in structure to the Pantheon of Agripa in Rome.
This brotherhood joins the penitence processions at dawn of Good Friday.
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