Cathedral and Salvador Church, Sevilla

The Cathedral in Sevilla is massive--it is the largest gothic church in the world, and has the third largest square footage of any church in the world.  This building, along with the Alcazar Real and the Archivo de los Indios, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   The trio perfectly epitomize the Spanish "Golden Age", incorporating vestiges of Islamic culture, centuries of ecclesiastical power, royal sovereignty and the trading power that Spain acquired through its colonies in the New World.

Founded in 1403 on the site of a former mosque, the Cathedral, built in Gothic and Renaissance style, covers seven centuries of history. With its five naves it is the largest Gothic building in Europe. Its bell tower, the Giralda, was the former minaret of the mosque, a masterpiece of Almohad architecture and now is important example of the cultural syncretism thanks to the top section of the tower, designed in the Renaissance period by Hernán Ruiz. Its "chapter house" is the first known example of the use of the elliptical floor plan in the western world. Ever since its creation, the Cathedral has continued to be used for religious purposes.

So here is a tip--the line to get tickets at the cathedral is always massive--but if you first go to the Salvador church, the ticket that you buy there allows you to get into the cathedral as well--the only down side is that you must muscle through a whole crowd of tourists waiting in the blazing Sevilla sun, not knowing that they could skip that part, and they think you are jumping the line.  Wave your tickets as you pass--it doesn't get you any fewer dirty looks but it makes you feel virtuous.

The Salvador church is gorgeous on the inside and reminded me of many churches that I saw on my spring trip to Oaxaca--the size was much larger, but the plethora of carved figures within the church was just as impressive.  It is a lovely church with much to see--whereas the inside of the cathedral, aside from Columbus' tomb, is not all that noteworthy, the Salvador church is a work of art.