Alcázar of Seville

Alcázar of Seville
The Alcázar of Seville or Royal Palace of Seville, is a historic royal palace in Seville, Spain. It was formerly the site of the Islamic-era citadel of the city, begun in the 10th century and then developed into a larger palace complex by the Abbadid dynasty (11th century) and the Almohads (12th to early 13th centuries). After the Castilian conquest of the city in 1248, the site was progressively rebuilt and replaced by new palaces and gardens. Among the most important of these is a richly-decorated Mudéjar-style palace built by Pedro I during the 1360s.
The palace is a preeminent example of Mudéjar style in the Iberian Peninsula and also includes sections with Gothic and Renaissance elements. The upper stories of the Alcázar are still occupied by the royal family when they visit Seville and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Seville Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies.
Etymology
The Spanish term Alcázar comes from the Arabic (meaning "the castle" or "the palace"), itself derived from the Latin castrum ("castle").
History
Islamic era
In the year 712, Seville was conquered by the Umayyad Caliphate. In the year 913–914, after a revolt against Cordoba's government, the first caliph of Al-Andalus Abd al-Rahman III built a fortified construction in place of a Visigothic Christian basilica. It was a quadrangular, roughly square enclosure about 100 meters long on each side, fortified with walls and rectangular towers, and annexed to the city walls. In the 11th century, during the Taifa period, the Abbadid king Al-Mu'tamid expanded the complex southwards and eastwards, with a new southern enclosure measuring approximately 70 by 80 meters. This new palace was called Al Mubarak. Various additions to the construction such as stables and warehouses were also carried out.
Towards 1150, the Almohad Caliphs began to develop Seville as their capital in Al-Andalus. The Almohad governor extended the fortified complex to the west, nearly doubling its size. At least six new courtyard palaces were constructed in the old enclosures and nine palaces were added in the western extensions. In 1163 the caliph Abu Ya'qub Yusuf made the Alcazar his main residence in the region. He further expanded and embellished the palace complex in 1169, adding six new enclosures to the north, south, and west sides of the existing palaces. The works were carried out by architects Ahmad ibn Baso and 'Ali al-Ghumari. With the exception of the walls, nearly all previous buildings were demolished, and a total of approximately twelve palaces were built. Among the new structures was a very large garden courtyard, now known as the Patio del Crucero, which stood in the old Abbadid enclosure. Between 1171 and 1198 an enormous new congregational mosque was built on the north side of the Alcazar (later transformed into the current Cathedral of Seville). A shipyard was also built nearby in 1184 and a textiles market in 1196.
There are few remnants of these Islamic-era constructions today. Archaeological remains of the Al Mubarak Palace are currently preserved under Patio de la Monteria. Several wall painting fragments were found that are now exhibited in the Palacio del Yeso. The courtyard buildings now known as the Palacio del Yeso (or Patio del Yeso), the Palacio de la Contratación, and the Patio del Crucero all preserve remains from the Almohad period.
Christian era
Seville was conquered in 1248 by Ferdinand III of Castile. The former Moorish palace-citadel was taken over by the Castilian monarchs and underwent significant reconstruction and modification, such that most of the Islamic-era structure has since disappeared.
A Gothic-style palace was built on the site in 1258 for Alfonso X (Ferdinand's successor). It stood on the site of the present-day Patio del Crucero, incorporating and preserving parts of the Almohad-era courtyard that was found here, including the Islamic-style garden divided into quadrants by two intersecting paths. Over these paths and around the courtyard, Gothic-style vaults and pointed arches were added, along with a hall divided into several naves. Corners towers containing spiral staircases granted access to an upper terrace. Of the Gothic palace today, only the upstairs Sala de las Bóvedas and the Baños de María de Padilla, with their Gothic cross-ribbed vaults, have been preserved or partially preserved.
In the mid-14th century, Alfonso XI commissioned the construction of a new throne hall known as the Hall of Justice, which commemorated his victory at the Battle of Río Salado (1340). It is attached to the Patio del Yeso, an Almohad-era courtyard, and also serves as its antechamber. This new addition was made in a Mudéjar style, with stucco decoration and an overall arrangement of elements directly based on contemporary Islamic Andalusi architecture.
In the 1360s, much of the complex was rebuilt by Pedro I in an ornate Mudéjar style. The palace includes a monumental façade, a courtyard (the present-day Patio de las Doncellas), and a great domed hall known as the Hall of the Ambassadors (Salon de los Embajadores). A Latin inscription on the palace façade includes the year 1364 while an Arabic inscription in the Hall of Ambassadors gives the year 1366, which indicate the probable dates for the start and completion of construction, respectively. The architecture of Pedro I's palace has strong similarities to the contemporary Nasrid palaces of the Alhambra in Granada, although the complicated chronology of construction and renovations at both sites makes it difficult to determine what roles they might have played in influencing each other's designs. It is likely that Muhammad V, the Nasrid ruler of Granada and Pedro I's ally, sent craftsmen to Seville to help assist in the palace's construction and decoration. Under the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella (d. 1504) and Fernando (d. 1516), the upper floor of the palace was extended and transformed into their main residence.
The palace was the birthplace of Infanta Maria Antonietta of Spain (1729–1785), daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese, when the king was in the city to oversee the signing of the Treaty of Seville (1729) which ended the Anglo-Spanish War (1727). Much of the old Gothic Palace of Alfonso X was destroyed during the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
The palace
The Real Alcázar is situated near the Seville Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies in one of Andalusia's most emblematic areas.
Tiles
The palace is known for its tile decoration. The two tile types used are majolica and arista tiles. In the arista technique, the green body is stamped and each tile segment has raised ridges. This technique produces tiles with transparent glazes that are not flat. The art of majolica ceramics was developed later in the 15th–16th centuries. The innovation made it possible to "paint" directly on ceramics covered with white opaque glazes. Being a trade center, Seville had access to large scale production of these tiles. They were mainly of geometric design inspired by arabesque ornamentation.
In the 16th century, the Catholic Monarchs commissioned an Italian artist from Pisa, Francisco Niculoso (called Pisano) to make two majolica tile altarpieces for their private chapel in the palace. One still exists in the oratory of the royal apartments, the other one is missing. Later, the artist Cristóbal de Augusta created a tile-work in the Palacio Gotico. It features animals, cherubs and floral designs and gives the palace a bright tapestry look.
Puerta del León
The main entrance to the Alcázar takes its name from the 19th century tile-work inlaid above it, a crowned lion holding a cross in its claws and bearing a Gothic script.
Patio de las Doncellas
The name, meaning "The Courtyard of the Maidens", is a reference to the apocryphal story that the Moors demanded an annual tribute of 100 virgins from the Christian kingdoms of Iberia.
The courtyard was part of the Mudéjar palace built by Pedro I in the 1360s. The ground level of the building still dates to this period and contains Arabic inscriptions that refer to Pedro I as "Sultan Don Bidru". The upper story of the courtyard was an addition made by Charles V. The addition was designed by Luis de Vega in the style of the Italian Renaissance although he did include both Renaissance and mudéjar plaster work in the decorations. Construction of the addition began in 1540 and ended in 1572.
At ground level, several reception rooms are arranged around a long rectangular reflecting pool that runs the entire length of the patio, creating a water line. This pool is surrounded by promenades covered with a red brick pavement decorated with green ceramic borders, similar to the pavement that adorns the perimeter of the garden. The pool and its promenades are bordered by two flowerbeds located one meter beneath the pavement whose sides are decorated with a frieze of interlaced semi-circular arches.
The current appearance of the courtyard garden is the result of a reconstruction carried out in the 21st century following the excavations carried out between 2002 and 2005 by a team of archaeologists led by Miguel Ángel Tabales. The garden and the pool, built between 1356 and 1366, were buried between 1581 and 1584 when the courtyard was paved by Juan Bautista de Zumárraga with a white and black marble pavement and an alabaster fountain in the center. The patio maintained this appearance until its original structure was discovered and the hidden garden was uncovered after the 2002–2005 excavations, which revealed the good state of conservation of the area under the patio. The ancient Mudejar garden was restored after being hidden for centuries under a marble floor.
Los Baños de Doña María de Padilla
The Baños de Doña María de Padilla ("Baths of Lady María de Padilla") is a chamber located in a basement beneath the Patio del Crucero. It is named after María de Padilla, the mistress of Pedro I, although the structure itself is unrelated to her and dates instead to the Gothic palace of Alfonso X. It consists of an elongated water basin, or cistern, roofed by a series of Gothic cross-ribbed vaults.
Salón de los Embajadores
The Hall of the Ambassadors (Salon de los Embajadores) dates from the 14th century, when Pedro I of Castile made it a centerpiece of his new royal palace. One hypothesis states that Pedro reused and remodeled a much older hall, known as the Hall of the Pleiades, built by the Abbadid ruler al-Mu'tamid, but this theory has not been widely accepted.
The hall has a square shape and is covered by a dome, analogical to the qubba-type structures of Islamic architecture. During Pedro's construction, the orientation of the hall was changed from facing Mecca (to the east) to the northeast, where it opens to the Patio de las Doncellas through a central doorway. At the middle of each of the other three sides of the hall is a central doorway consisting of a triple horseshoe arch supported by marble columns. Each of the triple arches is enclosed by a decorative rectangular frame (alfiz), which in turn is enclosed by a semi-circular frame within a larger rectangular frame. Beyond each of these archways is a wide rectangular room, leading in turn to other rooms. The lower walls of the Hall of Ambassadors are decorated with a dado of tiles, while the walls above are decorated with rich plasterwork. A row of windows with delicate stucco grilles runs along the top of the walls, below the dome.
The hall's decoration was finished in 1366, as recorded by an Arabic inscription on a set of wooden doors that was made by artisans from Toledo. The current dome over the hall was rebuilt in 1427 to replace the original dome. The balconies in the upper walls were added in the 16th century. In 1526, Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal celebrated their marriage in this room.
Other sections
Patio de las Muñecas (Courtyard of the Dolls)
Patio de la Montería (Courtyard of the Montería)
Dormitorio de los Reyes Moros (Bedroom of the Moorish Kings)
Sala de Justicia (Justice room)
Patio del Yeso (Courtyard of the Plaster)
Cuarto del Almirante (Admiral's Room)
Casa de Contratación (Casa de Contratación)
Patio del Crucero (Courtyard of the Crossing)
Palacio Mudéjar or de Pedro I (Mudéjar Palace or that of Peter of Castile)
Patio de las Muñecas (Courtyard of the Dolls)
Cuarto del Príncipe (Prince's Room)
Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens)
Salón del Techo de Carlos V (Charles V Ceiling Room)
Salón de Embajadores (Ambassadors' Room)
Salón del Techo de Felipe II (Philip II Ceiling Room)
Primera planta (First level of the Palace of Peter of Castile)
Palacio Gótico (Gothic Palace)
Capilla (Chapel)
Gran Salón (Big Room)
Salón de los Tapices (Tapestries' Room)
Sala de las Bóvedas (Vaults' Room)
Upper floors belong to the Patrimonio Nacional and are occupied by the royal family when visiting Seville. There are many security measures for visitors; admission is approximately 5 euros.
Vestíbulo or Saleta de la Reina Isabel la Católica (Lobby or Queen Isabella the Catholic Monarch's Room)
Anteortaorio de Isabel la Católica (Pre-oratory of Isabella the Catholic Monarch)
Oratorio de Isabel la Católica (Oratory of Isabella the Catholic Monarch)
Alcoba Real (Royal Bedroom)
Antecomedor (Pre-dining Room)
Comedor de Gala (Gala Dining)
Sala de fumar (Smoking Room)
Retrete del Rey (King's Toilet)
Antecomedor de familia, antiguo Cuarto del Rey (Family Pre-dining Room, former King's Room)
Comedor de Familia or Cuarto Nuevo (Family Dining Room or New Room)
Mirador de los Reyes Católicos (Viewpoint of the Catholic Monarchs)
Dormitorio del Rey Don Pedro, antiguo Cuarto de los Lagartos (King Don Peter of Castile's Bedroom, former Lizards' Room)
Despacho de Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos I's Office)
Cámara de Audiencias (Hearings' Chamber)
Dormitorio de Isabel II (Isabella II's Bedroom)
Colección Carranza (a museum of old azulejos)
Gardens
Estanque de Mercurio (Mercury Pond)
Galería de Grutesco (Grotesque Gallery)
Jardín de la Danza (Dance's Garden)
Jardín de Troya (Troy's Garden)
Jardín de la Galera (The Galley's Garden)
Jardín de las Flores (Flowers' Garden)
Jardín del Príncipe (Prince's Garden)
Jardín de las Damas (Ladies' Garden)
Pabellón de Carlos V (Charles V's Pavilion)
Cenador del León (Lion's Gloriette)
Jardín Inglés (English Garden)
Jardín del Marqués de la Vega-Inclán (Marquis of la Vega-Inclán's Garden)
Jardín de los Poetas (The Poets' Garden)
Apeadero (Mounting-block)
Patio de Banderas (Flags' Courtyard)
Walls of the Alcázar
The gardens
All the palaces of Al Andalus had garden orchards with fruit trees, horticultural produce and a wide variety of fragrant flowers. The garden-orchards not only supplied food for the palace residents but had the aesthetic function of bringing pleasure. Water was ever present in the form of irrigation channels, runnels, jets, ponds and pools.
The gardens adjoining the Alcázar of Seville have undergone many changes. In the 17th century during the reign of Philip III the Italian designer Vermondo Resta introduced the Italian Mannerist style. Resta was responsible for the Galeria de Grutesco (Grotto Gallery) transforming the old Muslim wall into a loggia from which to admire the view of the palace gardens.
In popular culture
In 1962 the Alcázar was used as a set for Lawrence of Arabia.
The Alcázar was used as the set for the court of the King of Jerusalem in the 2005 movie Kingdom of Heaven.
Part of the fifth season of Game of Thrones was shot in several locations in the province of Seville, including the Alcázar.
See also
The Virgin of the Navigators
Azulejo
History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes
References
External links
InFocus: Alcázar of Seville (Sevilla, Spain) at HitchHikers Handbook
Images of the Alcázar in Seville – 105 images with good descriptions of the Alcázar and its history.
Casa de la Contratación – in depth historical article.
El Real Alcázar de Sevilla (In Spanish, English and French)
UNESCO World Heritage
interiors and details pictures of Seville Alcazar
Seville
Azulejos in buildings in Andalusia
Buildings and structures completed in 914
Buildings and structures completed in the 11th century
Buildings and structures completed in the 14th century
Castles in Andalusia
Gothic architecture in Andalusia
Islamic gardens
Spanish gardens
Mudéjar architecture in Andalusia
Mannerist architecture
Palaces in Seville
Royal residences in Spain
World Heritage Sites in Spain