Monday 24 March 2014

Seville, Day 5: Cathedral and Giralda

Another relaxed start today and then a walk along the river to the bull ring and onto the Hospital de la Caridad.  Founded in 1674, this is still a charity hospital but the chapel and courtyards are open to visitors.  The courtyard,s with their sound of running water, were beautiful and the baroque/rococo chapel was amazing and typical of the period.  There were some superb religious paintings by Murillo and the roof was staggering.

To view large, click on an image.








After again being bowled over by amazing art and architecture, we repaired to a nearby bar for a coffee and then moved next door to the Bodegon Torre del Oro to sample the excellent manzanilla sherry and olives.  Duly fortified, it was time to move on to the cathedral and Giralda.  The cathedral began life in 1401 and occupies the former site of a great mosque built by the Almohads in 1172.  By 1500 it had grown to become the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world.  Inside it is amazing.  Above the cathedral is La Giralda, named after its crowning weather vane (giraldillo).  It is a Moorish minaret, capped with a Christian belfry.  The climb up it is worth it for the glorious views over Seville, a classic Andalusian skyline of whitewashed houses and terracotta-tiled roofs.  Sadly an immense tower block under construction is a blot on the landscape, although fascinating to photograph.


























For lunch we enjoyed tapas in the square below the Giralda before wandering, once more, through the wonderful alleys of the Barrio Sant Cruz.  Later we whiled away our time over mint tea and cake waiting for the sun to go down to allow floodlit photography of La Giralda.

Another wonderful day.



















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