The Biggest Altar Piece On Earth

The Largest Altar Piece in the World

The Cathedral of Seville (Catedral de Sevilla) is an expression in stone of post-Reconquest confidence and wealth. Built on the site of a mosque, it is the third largest church in Europe and the largest Gothic building in Europe. It also boasts the largest altarpiece in the world.

History

Built over the site of the Almohad Mosque, the cathedral was built to demonstrate Seville's power and wealth 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 of such a kind that those who see it built will think we were mad."

Inspired by this goal, the canons of Seville renounced all but a subsistence level of their incomes to fund the construction. The cathedral was completed in just over a century (1402-1506), quite an achievement given its size and Gothic details. It was probably designed by the French master architect of Rouen Cathedral.

Along with the Alcazar and Archivo de las Indias, Seville Cathedral was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

What to See

The cathedral was built on the large rectangular base-plan of the mosque it replaced, but the Christian architects added the extra dimension of height. The central nave rises to 42 meters and even the side chapels seem large enough to contain an ordinary church.

The total area covers 11,520 square meters. If measured by area, Seville Cathedral is the third largest in Europe after after St. Paul's in London and St. Peter's in Rome, but if measured by volume, it surpasses them both. Its nave is the longest in Spain.

Two main parts of the original mosque were thankfully preserved in the cathedral: the Moorish entrance court (Patio de los Naranjos); and the Giralda, originally a minaret, converted into a bell tower. (See our separate La Giralda article.)

Entrance to the cathedral is via the Puerta de San Cristóbal on the south side. Near the doorway dedicated to the saint he was named after is the tomb of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón in Spanish). Columbus was originally buried in the cathedral of Havana, on the island he had discovered on his first voyage in 1492. But during the upheavals surrounding the Cuban revolution in 1902, Spain transferred the remains to Seville.

A monumental tomb was sculpted by Arturo Melida for the occasion. It was designed in the Late Romantic style and is held aloft by four huge allegorial figures representing the kingdoms of León, Castile, Aragón and Navarra. There have long been doubts about the authenticity of the remains in Columbus' tomb, and DNA tests are currently underway to find out if they really are those of the explorer.

The huge interior of the cathedral, with a central nave and four side aisles, is lavishly decorated. Gold is everywhere. But at the same time, there is a sense of overall simplicity and restraint in decoration, for the grand monuments are confined to the side aisles and the huge nave is left mostly empty.

In the center is the great box-like structure of the coro (choir), which contains elaborate 15th-century choir stalls. The coro opens onto the Capilla Mayor, which is dominated by an incredible Gothic retablo (reredos or altarpiece). The supreme masterpiece of the cathedral was the life's work of a single craftsman, Fleming Pieter Dancart. Composed of 45 carved scenes from the life of Christ, it is carved in wood and covered with staggering amounts of gold. It is the largest and richest altarpiece in the world.

Other notable works of art in the cathedral include 15th-century stained-glass windows and the iron screens (rejas) closing off the chapels. During Corpus Christi and Immaculate Conception observances, altar boys with castanets dance in front of the high altar.

The grandiose Sacristia Mayor, designed in the Plateresque style in 1528, houses the treasury. Among the displays are silver reliquaries and monstrances, artworks by Goya, Murillo, and Zurbarán, and a collection of skulls. Don't miss the keys presented to Fernando by the Jewish and Moorish communities on the surrender of the city: sculpted into the metal in Arabic script are the words, "May Allah render eternal the dominion of Islam in this city."

The northeast corner contains the domed Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), which is not always open. Built on the site of the original royal burial chapel, it shelters the body of Fernando III (El Santo) in a rich, silver shrine. The tombs on either side belong to Fernando's wife, Beatrice of Swabia, and his son, Alfonso the Wise.

To the left of the Capilla Real is the entrance to the wonderful Moorish tower, La Giralda, which is well worth climbing.