The Giralda
The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville, Spain, one of the largest churches in the world and an outstanding example of the Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. The tower first two thirds is a former Almohad minaret which, when it was built, it was the tallest tower in the world with 97.5 m (320 ft) height. It was one of the most important symbols in the medieval city. Seville Cathedral
The Cathedral of Seville, also known as Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) is the cathedral of the city of Seville in Andalucia. It is claimed by some to be the largest Gothic cathedral and the fourth largest Christian church in the world.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1402 and continued into the 16th century. Its central nave rises to a height of 42 metres.
The interior, with the longest nave in Spain, is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. In the main body of the cathedral only the great boxlike structure of the choir stands out, filling the central portion of the nave. It is also dominated by a vast Gothic retablo of carved scenes from the life of Christ. The altarpiece was the lifetime work of a single craftsman, Pierre Dancart.
The builders used some columns and elements from the mosque, and most famously the Giralda, was converted into a bell tower. The Giralda is the city's most famous symbol.
This cathedral was built to demonstrate Seville's wealth, as it had become a major trading center in the years after the Reconquista.
During the planning of the cathedral's construction, a member of the chapter was recorded to have commented "we shall have a church [so great and] of such a kind that those who see it built will think we were mad."
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For futher information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giralda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville_Cathedral