ALCAZAR de Sevilla

The history of the Alcazar de Sevilla began in the 10^th century when the Muslim Umayyad dynasty built a fortress (alcazaba) with a palace (al-qasr or alcazar) and a fortified wall. In the 11^th and 12^th centuries the Abbadid and Almohad dynasties expanded the fortifications. However, in 1248 the fortifications were not enough to keep out the Christian army who reconquered Seville.

A few years later, King Alfonso X ordered the construction of a gothic palace, part of which is still used today as the official residence of the king in the city. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in all of Europe.

In 1356, Seville was struck by a large earthquake that damaged much of the city and left some of the Alcazar in a bad state. King Peter I (Peter the Cruel) had three Almohad palaces demolished and then set out to build his own lavish abode. His Palacio del Rey Don Pedro was constructed with Moorish workers mimicking their own Muslim style but also incorporating some elements of western Christianity.

NOTABLE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN SEVILLE’S ALCAZAR

• King Peter I, who was married to Blanche of Bourbon, heard rumors that she was cheating on him with his half-brother Fadrique Alfonso de Castilla. The king confronted his half-brother in the Alcazar and an altercation ensued which ended with Peter thrusting a dagger into Fadrique and killing him.
• In 1496, when Columbus returned from his second voyage to the Americas, he was welcomed in the Alcazar by the Catholic Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand.
• In 1526, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V married his cousin Isabella of Portugal in the Alcazar.

When Alfonso X took over the Alcazar from the Muslim Moors, he was not very impressed by their buildings. The ceilings were too low and the rooms too small. In addition, the king didn’t like the labyrinth-like distribution of the spaces. So he simply tore some of the buildings down to make way for a new Gothic palace. Alfonso liked Gothic architecture which at the time was seen as a symbol of the triumph of Christianity over Islam.

Main sections of the Gothic Palace:

• Gran Salón
• Tapestries room
• Chapel
• Baños de María Padilla - The baths were actually a water cistern known as an aljibe. However, it was named the “Baths of María Padilla” because legend has it that María Padilla, the mistress of King Peter I, used to bathe in them. Although the king was known for his many mistresses, María was his favorite. They had several children together and after her death, their marriage was validated and she was proclaimed as queen.

If you were to visit the Alcazar de Sevilla and have no knowledge of its history, you would probably think that the Palacio del Rey Don Pedro was leftover from the rule of the Muslim Moors. But you would be wrong. This amazing palace was actually commissioned by King Peter I, more than 100 years after Seville was reconquered by the christians.

Peter was very open-minded and greatly admired islamic culture. He brought in Muslim architects and artisans to build him a new palace in Mudéjar style.

The result is a very unique mixture of cultures. If you look closely you will even see arabic writing proclaiming Peter’s greatness – “Glory to our Lord the Sultan Don Pedro! May Allah protect him!”

The Alcazar’s gardens are the oldest in the city and originally, were used for growing crops. Although they have been reformed many times throughout history, they still maintain a Moorish heritage featuring fountains, tile work and many orange trees.

The Galeria de Grutesco is the highlight of the garden. It’s a 160m (525 ft) long wall that was part of the Almohad defensive fortifications from the 12th century. King Philip II hired Italian artist Vermondo Resta to transform the Moorish wall into a gallery for admiring the garden. The result is a fusion of nature and architecture.

Right next to the Galería de Grutesco you will find the Estanque de Mercurio (Mercury’s Pond). It is thought that this beautiful pond was built during the Moorish times to store water for the whole Alcazaba (fortress).