The Alcazar (castle) at Seville

Today we spent a bit of time at the Alcazar, or castle, at Seville. It would be a massive understatement to say it was interesting, fascinating, and well worth a visit.


From the outside it almost looks like a small, "toy" castle. It has that rosy pink colouring at the entrance that is a feature of some of the buildings here, and only a relatively small facade fronts onto the main square next to the Cathedral. It is no small "toy" castle. It's actually quite big. And it's beautiful and absolutely magnificent. Suffice to say that it is still the official residence of the king and queen of Spain when they are in Seville.


The place has a long and interesting history. It was built after the time of the Moors in Spain but was deliberately built with the Moorish "mujeda" style. There is therefore a lot in common with what we saw last time in Ronda, Cordoba, and Granada. The end result is quite stunning. It is all beautifully put together in one neat compact package. It also helps when you remember the great Spanish monarchs who lived here.


Thank goodness for digital cameras, I took heaps of photos that would not have been possible (thanks to cost) with film. And seriously I could have taken many more photos, the place is just delightful. Well worth the E7.50 entrance fee plus E3.50 for the audio guide.


No amount of photos, and certainly not mine, could do this place justice. It is grand without being overpowering and over the top. It is compact and easy to get around. It is not just that it is brilliantly designed along the lines of the Moorish palaces, and grand and splendid with it. It is also very beautiful and the attention to detail is unbelievable. This palace was not a job done "in bulk", each area of the complex was individually crafted.


As you walk through some of the rooms they may look like the other rooms. But when you look closer you realise that the patterns on the floor tiles, wall tiles, ceilings and doors are different. The wood inlays in the doors and ceilings are really quite something. The floor mosaics, and the tile patterns on the walls in particular, are very intricate and beautiful. And they constantly change as you move through the building.


There are a number of rooms that are just magnificent in their own right. These include, not surprisingly, the throne room. But also other rooms such as where the tapestries are hung, some of the halls, and others. As you walk furthyer through the place you discover new patios (courtyards) and other areas of the castle that simply didn't appear to be there when you walked in. Some of the tapestries were huge and beautifully crafted. There is no way my camera was ever going to do them justice so for once I didn't even try!


Now all of that is just what is inside the buildings. What is outside is just as stunning. It starts off with a couple of courtyards that are quaint but small and cramped. For a small "toy" castle that is what I expected. But as I went through further, new areas of garden opened up. Very clever and very beautiful.


The whole place is, in my opinion, a wonder. Whenever you turn a corner or pass through some insignificant doorway you are presented with something new and different to what was in the places you have just come from. Very clever, the way the Moors built their palaces and castles elsewhere in Spain.


I wondered afterwards how it is possible to "hide" such a large area of land that has been built up as a castle. Another look at the map shows where it all is, and a look at the houses and streets around it reveals how they managed to "hide" it. Another clever trick for this brilliant little castle / palace.