Seville Alcazar Royal Palace and Gardens UNESCO Site Tour

19/3/2018 Seville Alcazar Royal Palace and Gardens UNESCO Site Tour

SEVILLE ALCAZAR

ROYAL PALACE Like 0 Twee AND GARDENS UNESCO SITE TOUR

Story and photos by Barb & Ron Kroll

What is Europe's oldest palace still occupied by a royal family? A Real (Royal) Alcázar in Seville, Spain. Designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1987, the part-time royal residence is located a walk southeast of the Seville Cathedral.

"Six different palaces have occupied this site since the Moorish g built his fortress here in the 10th century," said our Seville guide Calderón. "The fourth palace, built in the 14th century for King P the most important."

Mudéjar architecture

Seville's royal palace is different from Granada's Alhambra, whic by Moorish tradespeople for Muslim rulers. In contrast, Moorish the Alcázar for Christian kings and queens.

Mudéjar art combines Islamic and Christian styles in the arches, ceramic tiles and decorations.

Christopher Columbus met Queen Isabella here

We entered Admiral's Hall (Cuarto del Almirante) in the House o (Casa de la Contratación), where Queen Isabella met Christophe after his second voyage to the Americas. Ferdinand Magellan an Vespucci also spent time in this room.

In the adjoining audience room, previously a chapel, we viewed altarpiece of the Madonna of the Sailors (Virgen de los Navegant by Alejo Fernandez in 1503.

Ferrari of ships

Ana pointed out how the Madonna used her cloak to protect not king, sailors and Christian people, but also the Native Americans by the explorers. On the right side of the painting is a portrait of Columbus with blond hair (before it turned white after he was 30

Below her feet, the painting depicts several ships used during th "Christopher Columbus had three ships," noted Ana. "The Santa big and heavy with a deep draft, so it often went aground and n repairs." A model of the Santa María is on display to the left of t

The Niña and the Pinta were much smaller and lighter caravels, faster. "They were the Ferraris of the sea," she explained.

Courtyard for royal receptions

We then entered the Courtyard of the Maidens (Patio de las Don Mudéjar plaster work decorates the wall above the marble colum arches of the two-story Italian Renaissance courtyard.

"The social life of the palace took place in the reception rooms a gardens and pool in the courtyard," explained Ana. "At the time http://www.krolltravel.com/stories/spain-seville-alcazar-royal-palace-unesco-site-tour.html 1/3 19/3/2018 Seville Alcazar Royal Palace and Gardens UNESCO Site Tour in the 16th century, workers added a second floor, which was a of the first level built for King Pedro I."

Because the palace had no central heating or air conditioning, st all the furniture downstairs by the elongated pool and orange tre garden in the summer. In the winter, they moved the furnishing upstairs where it was warmer.

Find the dolls' faces

King Pedro I lived in the rooms surrounding the Courtyard of the de las Muñecas). Ana told us about the legend of the hidden dol

"If you can find any of the nine doll faces, you will bring good lu home. I've found six." Hint: Look up about 2.5 meters (eight fee base of the arch before the entrance hall to see four of them. Th small, about the size of a pocket watch.

Ambassadors' Hall

The Throne Room, also called the Ambassadors' Hall (Salón de Embajadores) is the most elaborate room in the palace. It featu horseshoe arches and intricate 14th-century stucco Mudéjar dec

A splendid gilded dome, representing the universe where Allah li dominates the cube-shaped room. "The king addressed the nobl came to meet him from the balcony just below the ornate ceiling

Ana showed us some beautiful blue-colored stone. "It is lapis laz imported from Afghanistan, so you can imagine how expensive i

Royal wedding

The hall was used for state events, including the marriage of Ch his cousin Isabella of Portugal in 1526. "Even though it was an a marriage, Charles fell in love immediately after meeting her in th They were married just two hours later."

She explained that Charles gave Isabella a carnation as his first flowers came from Asia in the 16th century. Nowadays, Spain is producer of carnations in Europe. We grow them here in Andalus

Mercury Pond in Alcazar Gardens

The 7,000 square-meter Alcázar Gardens amazed us. Ana expla they are so large. "When the king enlarged the walls of the roya protect the people of Seville, he needed to feed them, so his wo planted fruit trees and produce in the gardens for food."

Mercury Pond, at the highest part of the gardens, features a fou bronze statue of Mercury from 1575. The reservoir, fed by a 16t aqueduct, used to provide water to the palace and irrigation to t

Game of Thrones film locations http://www.krolltravel.com/stories/spain-seville-alcazar-royal-palace-unesco-site-tour.html 2/3 19/3/2018 Seville Alcazar Royal Palace and Gardens UNESCO Site Tour We photographed the pond from the walkway behind the arches Gallery of the Grotesque (Galeria del Grutescos). Following the p we viewed palms, myrtle hedges, a labyrinth, flowering plants, m and orange trees.

Cries from some of the six free-roaming peacocks that inhabit th surprised us. "You can usually find them by the coffeeshop beca feed them," said Ana.

The Alcázar was the film location for parts of the fifth season of Thrones. In the television series, the gardens, Ambassadors' Ha of María de Padilla (King Pedro's mistress) were transformed into Gardens of Dorne and the private residence of the House of Mar

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