La Catedral de Sevilla y sus secretos

Seville Cathedral and its secrets

The temple breathes

It has been one of the great discoveries of the recent years. The temple's conservation team, led by architect Alfonso Jiménez, installed sensors in July 2006 to monitor the evolution of the two cracked pillars behind the choir screen. These pillars were being studied in detail during a complex restoration process that has now been successfully completed. An alarm was raised when the sensors detected movements of up to three centimeters. Investigations in the following hours reassured everyone. No further cracking of the pillars was expected, nor was there any danger of collapse.

The vaults The windows of the Cathedral expand daily as the temperature changes. They experience an upward movement in the morning and a downward movement at the end of the day, a kind of inhalation and exhalation in a perfect cycle. It has been said ever since that the Cathedral has life. And it literally moves every day.

Experts agree that it is beneficial for the vaulted architecture of the cathedral to have this margin of movement to prevent any disaster, in which case the absolute rigidity of the stone would not be advantageous, but rather a detrimental factor. The sensors installed during those years demonstrated that any major restoration should be used as an opportunity to learn more about the cathedral. The Cathedral never ceases to amaze with its details, a perfect creation whose construction began in 1433 and was completed at noon on October 10, 1506, according to the original documents held by the Cathedral Chapter. Five hundred years after its completion, we continue to learn more about this great structure. hollow mountain.

View of the Giralda and the Cathedral from the Patio de los Naranjos.

PWhy does the stone fall?

The stone used in the Cathedral is known as chalcarenite. It is a very cheap and low-quality material. The beginning of the 21st century has been marked by the continuous landslides, These problems stem from three causes: the material's low resistance, its limited versatility, and the blackening and weakening caused by pollution from road traffic on the Avenue until 2007. The pinnacles, for example, are subject to erosion that gradually rounds them over time. The restoration of all the portals and the pedestrianization of the Avenue have mitigated this problem.

Prince's Gate Façade. Seville Cathedral.

Which is the oldest inscription?

Registrations do not begin until 16th century. On the deck corresponding to the Royal Chapel The oldest inscription found on a structural element of the temple is the date 1569. This is the year the flooring was completed. To appreciate it, the highly recommended aerial tour of the temple is necessary. To find even older inscriptions, one must look at non-structural elements, such as the date 1537 that appears in the decoration of the Royal Chapel, by the architect Diego de Riaño.

Royal Chapel. Seville Cathedral.

What lies beneath the Parish of the Tabernacle?

The mysterious barred windows located in the lower level of the Parish of the Sagrario of the Cathedral, directly opposite the old Punta del Diamante, obscure the contents of the rooms. This is known as... Crypt of the Archbishops, It is known for the burials of prelates and mitred dignitaries it houses. It features 18th-century reinforcing columns.

Interior of the Parish of the Tabernacle.

Dozens of amphorae on the decks

They are placed on the roofs by the dozens. This is the fill used by 15th-century builders to fill the interior void of the vaults, a technique known as plaster vaults. Today, they are no longer used as fillers in many cases. They have been removed.

Gargoyles: Fantastic Animals

They are extremely expressive faces that powerfully attract the attention of those who have the opportunity to contemplate them up close. The gargoyles of the Cathedral have the physiognomy of Fantastic Beasts Human figures appear in their claws, a decoration far removed from the religious content of the artistic facades. These are faces of creatures that in some cases express aggression. The most striking examples are found on the facades facing Fray Ceferino González Street and Avenida de la Constitución.

They continue to fulfill their original function These features serve as drainage channels for rainwater from the roofs on rainy days, and they also suffer from erosion, which hinders the preservation of all the stonework. In the case of the gargoyles, the wear also tends to round their profiles, as it does with the pinnacles. The gargoyles make the exterior of this colossal temple, which also boasts other small details, even more unique.

Gargoyle.

The columns

From the Giralda to the Puerta de San Miguel are located the oldest ones, placed in the year 1398. These linked columns, whose origin was to mark the archiepiscopal jurisdiction, are very different from each other.

Most of them are from Roman origin, reused to surround the Cathedral. The remaining ones that surround the temple are made of Estepa stone and are much more recent.

Columns on the exterior of the Cathedral.

Lilies on spheres

Located in the upper section of the Giralda. Originally, there were only the spheres, each with 144 stars. Inside them, lit balls of yarn were placed to create a luminous effect. This was last done at the wedding of Infanta Elena in 1995. In the 18th century, the lily was added., symbol of purity of the Virgin and heraldry of the Cathedral Chapter.

What lies beneath the Patio de los Naranjos?

There are ten Almohad cisterns (late 12th century) like perfect tunnels, of which only one is open to visitors. They served to raise the floor of the Courtyard of the Orange Trees, as the mosque was built on a steeply sloping ground.

They were also used for store rainwater until the Carmona pipes reached the Cathedral. And they were also used as ossuaries.

The spiral staircase

There are two types of spiral staircases. The ones known as the Mallorca Spiral, which have a central opening and date from the 16th century, and the Spindle Spiral, which have a central core. They are located along the route of the visit to the decks. They are described in the work Anatomy of the Cathedral of Seville, by Alfonso Jiménez, published by the Provincial Council.

Discover all its secrets

Discover all the secrets of Seville Cathedral in our guided tours Culturea Experience. You'll enjoy one of the most mystical experiences the city has to offer, guided by an expert official guide. We'll lead you on a journey through time, deeply connected to our multicultural past.