Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (Seville Cathedral)
The largest Gothic cathedral in the world, built on the site of a great mosque, housing the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
The canons who commissioned it reportedly said, 'Let us build so great a church that those who see it finished will think we were mad.' They weren't wrong. You enter and the scale knocks the sense out of you — the nave is so tall that clouds of incense rise and seem to disappear before reaching the ceiling. The main altarpiece is the largest in Christendom, a wall of gold-leafed carved wood showing forty-five scenes from the life of Christ, and it took eighty years to complete. Columbus's tomb, carried on the shoulders of four bronze kings, sits in the south transept, and there's still debate about whether all his bones are actually in it. The Giralda tower next door was the minaret of the mosque that stood here before — the Christians kept it, added bells, and made it a bell tower. You climb a series of ramps, not stairs, because the muezzin used to ride a horse up to the top. At the summit, Seville spreads out below you in orange tile and white plaster.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Seville
Style: Gothic with Moorish and Renaissance elements
What to See
The main altarpiece demands time — stand close and work through the scenes panel by panel. The Capilla Real behind it holds a venerated image of the Virgen de los Reyes, patron of Seville. Columbus's tomb in the south transept is dramatic and hard to miss. Climb the Giralda for the views; the thirty-five ramps are gentle enough for anyone in reasonable shape. The sacristy holds paintings by Murillo, Zurbarán, and Goya. The Patio de los Naranjos — the old mosque courtyard — is a quiet grove of orange trees with a Moorish fountain still running.
Pilgrim Notes
The cathedral is in the center of Seville, walkable from most hotels. Entry requires a ticket, though worshippers attending Mass enter free through designated doors. Mass is celebrated daily, often in the Capilla Real. Holy Week in Seville is unlike anywhere else — the processions of pasos (floats carrying life-sized Passion scenes) pass through the cathedral precinct and are an overwhelming experience. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C; visit early in the morning if you're coming between June and September.