Â鶹APP

Fachada del Palacio del Rey Don Pedro,De Alberto.Bravo –

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Real Alcazar de Sevilla

The Real Alcázar of Seville is a walled palatial complex that was built in different historical stages. The original palace was built in the High Middle Ages. Some vestiges of Islamic art are preserved and, from the period after the Castilian conquest, a Mudejar palatial space and another in the Gothic style.  

In 2019 it received 2,067,016 visitors, making it one of the most visited monuments in Spain. Therefore,here are the top 10 fascinating facts about Real Alcazar de Sevilla they include the following;

1. The royal place was constructed for the Christian king Peter of Castile

 The Castilian Christians built the Royal Alcázar of Seville after the Christian conquest of Seville. In the early eighth century, the Alcázar was first constructed by the Arabs and expanded by more Spanish Kings. The Alcázar is a combination of the Mudéjar and Christian architectural styles. It was converted into the royal residence of the Spanish kings. 

2. It was built on the site of Abbadid Muslim Alcazar

The Patio del Yeso (south portico pictured here) is the most significant of the Almohad-era remains. By Jose Luis Filpo Cabana –

It was built by Castilian Christians on the site of an Abbadid Muslim alcazar, or residential fortress. The fortress was destroyed after the Christian conquest of Seville in 1248. 

Abbadid Muslim Alcazar was an Arab Muslim dynasty that arose in al-Andalus after the downfall of the Caliphate of Cordoba (756–1031). After the collapse, there were multiple small Muslim states called taifas, each ruled by a different family or tribe: the Hammudids, the Zayrids, the Jahwarids, the Dhul-Nunids, the Amirids, the Tojibids, and the Hudids. The Abbadid was the strongest among the small groups, and also absorbed most of the others. Abbadid rule lasted from about 1023 until 1091.

3. The Palace is a preeminent example of the Mudejar style

The Mudejar style is also referred to as the Mudejar art. It is a type of ornamentation and decoration that was used in the Iberian Christian Kingdoms between the 13th and 16th centuries. It was combined with Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architectural styles; they acted as constructive, ornamental, and decorative motifs.

4. The upper stories of the Alcazar are still occupied by the royal family

The Mercury pond, with the Renaissance statue, and the Grutesco gallery in the background. De Jose Luis Filpo Cabana –

When the Royal family visits Seville they tend to occupy the upper stories of the Alcazar and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. Patrimonio is a Spanish autonomous agency that is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency. It administers the sites that are owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for State Ceremonies. The Patrimonio Nacional includes palaces, gardens, monasteries, and convents, called the Royal sites.

5. It is one of the World Heritage Site

Avenue, By Zebulon –

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific, or other forms of significance. The sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity”.

However,  Seville was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, accompanied by the adjacent Seville Cathedral and the  General Archive of the Indies. Together these three buildings form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. The cathedral and the Alcázar date from the Reconquest of 1248 to the 16th century and are imbued with Moorish influences that are an exceptional testimony to the civilization of the Almohads as well as that of Christian Andalusia.

6. The Alcazar was used as a set for Lawrence of Arabia 

In 1962 the Alcázar was used as a set for Lawrence of Arabia.  It was a British epic historical drama film that was based on the life of T. E. Lawrence and his 1926 book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel. The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. In 1991, it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

7. 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 Centre, Seville had access to large-scale production of these tiles. They were mainly of geometric design inspired by arabesque ornamentation.

8. It is the oldest palace in Europe that is still in use

 Alcazar of Seville origin goes back to the 11th century when Muslim authorities decided to build a fortress in a strategic area of Seville to guarantee its security. It was protected by a wall. Therefore makes it the oldest palace that is still being used in Europe.

9. The Alcazar site is made up of diverse palaces and gardens designed during different 

Garden of the poets, By Daderot –

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.

10. It was the birthplace of Infanta Maria Antonietta of Spain

Infanta Maria Antonietta of Spain who was the Queen of Sardinia, youngest daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Franese, and a mother of the last three mainline kings of Sardinia was born on 17th November 1729 at the Royal Alcazar of Seville. She was born during the signing of the Treaty of Seville which ended the Anglo-Spanish War.