With the boat safely moored in marina Alcaidesa waiting for the parts to fix the escape hatches we rented a car and went to Seville for a three day visit. We arrived around lunch time so after checking in in the hotel we went for lunch in a Lebanese restaurant.
We had left Abu Dhabi in Nov 2018 and after 1,5 years were craving Arabic food.
Seville started as a settlement on an island in the river Guadalquivir and became a Phoenician trading post. (see https://www.twobatsea.com/history-of-iberian-peninsula/). Under the Romans it developed into one of the great market and industrial centres of Hispania. During Moorish rule the city was the capital for several Kings (Caliph’s).
Caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf ordered the construction of a new grand mosque for the city. The new mosque was completed in 1198.
The minaret of the mosque is 104 meters high and the Mullah had to ascent to the top for each call of prayer, 5 times a day. To help the poor man a series of ramps were build to the top so the Mullah could go up and down on a “beast of burden” = donkey.
The Mosque’s courtyard and the arcade to the North still exist.
The prayer hall to the South has over the centuries been converted into the present day Gothic Cathedral.
The cathedral was built to display the cities wealth since it became a major trading port after the “reconquista”.
Napoleons invasion of Spain in 1807 caused instability in the Iberian peninsula and in the Spanish overseas territories (colonies). The massive Silver Altar on display used to be even bigger but the lower sections of the original altar were used to mint silver coins to fund the ensuing Spanish – American independent war(s).
The Main Altar is a massive gilded wooden structure, completed in 1564 after 82 years of work by Flemish and Spanish carvers.
Columbus (an Italian!), sponsored by the Crown of Castilian landed on San Salvador, Bahamas, in 1492 and the discovery of the New World was the beginning of the Golden Age for Seville. Columbus’ tomb is located inside the Cathedral.
Seville has three world heritage sites; The Cathedral, The “Archivo de Indias” a treasure trove for Spanish recorded history, and “The Alcazar Palace”, which we visited the next day. The three sites are all located around Plaza de Triunfo. All sites including the old city centre and the Plaza de Torro are within walking distance, as with most European medieval cities.
Seville is the birthplace of the “Flamenco dance” and the “Flamenco guitar”, so we booked for a performance at 19.00 hours in Tablao Alvarez Quintero before dinner.
For the next day we booked a guided tour for the Royal Alcazars or the Royal Palace that was build for the Christian King Peter of Castile on the site of a former Muslim residential fort that was destroyed during the reconquista, except for the outer walls. The huge complex was rebuild over a period of 500 years and is a mixture of Moorish – Roman – Gothic and Renaissance styles. Part of the complex is still used today by the Royal Family if they visit Sevilla.
The Lion is the symbol for the Kingdom of Leon in the North-West of Spain that later became the Kingdom of Spain together with the Kingdom of Castile and Andalusia.
Although the architecture and decoration of the building is already worth a visit alone, it is more the realisation that these buildings were the centre of power of the Spanish empire up to the 18th century. Silting up of the river forced the American trade fleet to relocate to Cadiz.
The Admiral’s Hall was the Headquarter of the “House of Trade with the Indies” (Casa de Contratacion) founded in 1503 to control the trade between Spain and the New World. Amerigo Vespucci and Magellan planed the worlds first circumnavigation in this Hall. America is named after Amerigo Vespucci. Magellan was killed in the Philippines, but the Strait of Magellan is named after him. Juan de la Costa made the first world map in this hall. The seat of the House of Trade was transferred to Cadiz in 1717.
Adjacent to the HQ we find the Hall of Audiences which served a double purpose. 1) The stone benches were the seats for the Members of the House of Trade. 2) The presence of the altar meant it could double as a chapel where the sailors could pray for a safe return.
The painting over the altar shows The Virgin of the Navigators, Mary, spreading her mantle over the Spanish, to protect ships, cargo and crew (in that order!) as they embark on the perilous Atlantic crossing.
The most opulent decorated room is the “Ambassadors’ Hall”, the main hall of the palace and used as “Throne room”, where the king received important guests at the time.
In the decoration of the buildings a mixture of Muslim, Christian and Byzantine texts and symbolism co-exists as well as the symbolism of the Castilian and Leon kingdoms.
Patio de las Doncellas, meaning “The Courtyard of the Maidens”, is a reference to the story that the Moors demanded an annual tribute of 100 virgins from the Christian kingdoms of Iberia.
After a late lunch we walked towards the river and the Plaza de Toros or the Bullring. This building also stems from Sevilla’s golden age and construction started in 1749. Bullfighting season is from April to September.
Although bullfighting is an essential part of the culture of Seville (toreros are almost as popular as football stars) we did not enter the building since there was a 45 min cue waiting outside in the sun, and there were no fights scheduled anyway.
The next morning we roamed the narrow streets of this romantic city before heading back to La Linea.
After a memorable stay in Seville and a quick lunch we were off to Carrefour. Yes we had rented a car so provisioning the boat is easy (pfew!!).