Seville - Alcázar

On the southeast side of the Plaza del Triunfo in Seville stands the Alcázar, the stronghold of the Moorish and later of the Christian kings. The present structure, still with the aspect of a medieval fortress, was built by Moorish architects in the second half of the 14th century, in the reign of Pedro the Cruel. The entrance leads into the Patio de las Banderas, planted with orange-trees, and through the Jardín del Crucero into the Patio de la Montería, the Court of the Royal Bodyguard, on the south side of which is the richly articulated main front of the Alcázar proper.

Must-see attractions nearby:

Cathedral

Museum of Fine Art

Alcázar

Casa de Pilatos

Parque de María Luisa

Plaza San Francisco

Things to See

Alcazar - Apartments of Charles V

To the left of the Patio de la Montería in Seville, through the Jardín del Crucero, are the Apartments of Charles V. The private chapel is richly decorated with azulejos; the other rooms are hung with Flemish tapestries of the 16th-18th centuries, the most interesting of which are those depicting the conquest of Tunis.

Alcazar - Dormitorio de Isabel la Catolica

To the left of the Patio de las Muñecas at Seville's Seville is the Dormitorio de Isabel la Católica, the Queen's Bedchamber, preceded by the Salón del Príncipe.

Alcazar - Dormitorio de los Reyes Moros

To the right of the Dormitorio de Isabel la Católica is the beautifully tiled Dormitorio de los Reyes Moros, the Bedchamber of the Moorish Kings in Seville's Alcázar.

Alcazar - El Naranjal

The Renaissance garden of the Alcázar in Seville, called El Naranjal, was redesigned for the Emporer Carlos V's wedding.

Alcazar - Gardens

The gardens of the Alcázar in Granada, laid out by Charles V, are divided into two by a rocaille wall. Their most notable features are an underground bathhouse and the Pabellón de Carlos V (1540).

Alcazar - Ground Floor

On the north side of the Patio de las Doncellas the Salón de Carlos V has a beautiful coffered ceiling, and adjoining this are the apartments of María de Padilla, Pedro the Cruel's favorite, and the long Dining Room (Comedor).

Alcazar - Hall of the Ambassadors

The Dining Room leads into the Salón de Embajadore, the oldest room in the Alcázar of Seville, with a superb cedarwood stalactitic dome (1420), inscriptions in Arabic script and decorative friezes.

Alcazar - La Galera

The Arabian desert of La Galera is found near the palace walls.

Alcazar - La Gruta

La Gruta lies among the famous garden areas of the Alcazar in Seville.

Alcazar - Upper Floor

From the Patio de la Montería a magnificent staircase leads to the upper floor, on which are the apartments of the Catholic Monarchs. Particularly fine is the Chapel Royal, with an azulejo-clad altar by Nicoloso Pisano.

Court of the Dolls

From the Salón de Embajadores in Seville, passing through Philip II's Bedchamber, we come into the little Moorish Patio de las Muñecas, the inner courtyard of the private apartments.

Court of the Maids of Honor

The Alcázar in Seville is entered through the Puerta Principal, from which a narrow passage to the left leads into the Patio de las Doncellas, built between 1369 and 1379, with magnificent cusped arches and open arabesque work above, borne on 52 marble columns; the glazed gallery was added in the 16th century.