Right Bank of the Guadalquivir zone:
21. Tower of Gold (Torre del Oro)
The 36-meter(118-foot)-high Tower of Gold was created to block entrance to the Arenal neighbourhood (where the port used to be) by connecting the tower to its less well-known sister, the Tower of Silver (Torre de la Plata), which still exists on neighbouring Calle Santander, albeit in a sorry state of neglect. Its second purpose was to defend against enemy ships approaching from the river.
The tower is divided into three main sections, the first two of which are dodecagonal and were built by the Almohads and Pedro I, “the Cruel“. The 18th-century third portion is cylindrical with a dome on top.
The name alludes to Andalusia’s golden period during the colonial era in Latin America. Ships could unload their cargo (gold) here when they arrived in Seville via the river.
Another reason for the name is that the second portion appeared to be gilded in the past, and the river glistened with a golden sheen. Scientists discovered what causes this effect only in 2005, during restoration work. It was a blend of mortar with lime and compressed straw. This put an end to years of legends about the tower’s name being derived from a claimed coating of tiles that reflected the sun’s rays or a trove of silver and gold riches housed there by King Pedro I.
Another urban legend stated that a strong chain stretched from the tower’s foundations to the other bank, built to impede the passage of hostile ships. The truth is that there existed a causeway connecting the city and the Triana neighbourhood during the Almohad period, which was created by numerous ships linked by a chain. This ship’s chain was responsible for the destruction of Admiral Ramón de Bonifaz’s Castilian fleet, which was sailing up the Guadalquivir to lay siege to the city in 1248.
Today, there is a nautical museum with ancient shipping instruments, scale models, and sea charts on exhibit on the upper level. From this vantage point, you can get an incredible view of the Guadalquivir River.
The monument served as a chapel, a noblemen’s prison, gunpowder storage, and the offices of the Port Authority and the Naval Command before being converted into a museum.
It is, together with the Giralda, one of Seville’s most recognizable emblems, and, in 1931, was recognized as a historic-artistic monument.
Admission fee: 3 €/3.7$ (free on Mondays).
22. Monument to Tolerance (Monumento a la tolerancia)
The Monument to Tolerance was unveiled in 1992 as part of the Seville Expo ’92 and was inaugurated by Israeli President Chaim Herzog to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Jews’ exile from Spain in 1492.
It celebrates the tolerance that existed in Seville between the three great monotheistic faiths of Jews, Christians, and Muslims before the Inquisition destroyed it in 1492.
23. Triana Bridge or Bridge of Isabel II (Puente de Triana o Puente Isabella II)
The Triana bridge has a recent past, at least in terms of solid construction.
Seville did not have a solid bridge connecting its historic centre to the Triana neighbourhood until the 19th century. The Romans rejected the idea of constructing a stable bridge to connect the two banks, while the Arabs chose a non-permanent bridge made up of thirteen boats tethered with chains and supported by sturdy wooden planks.
The current Triana bridge was built in 1845 during the reign of Queen Isabella II, who is also the name of the bridge. The chosen design was based on the now-defunct Carrousel Bridge, built over the Seine in Paris in 1834 by French engineer Polonceau.
The inauguration took place on February 23, 1852, and was marked by a military parade. On April 13, 1976, the bridge was designated as a National Historic Monument.
The Triana bridge now has a slightly different appearance than it had when it was built more than a century and a half ago. The metal arches beneath the bridge are now simply aesthetic and have no structural purpose. Nonetheless, the arches make it one of Spain’s oldest cast-iron bridges.
The bridge has a total length of 154.5 meters (507 feet), a width of 15.9 meters (52 feet), and a maximum height of 12 meters (39 feet) from its base. It is made up of three metal parts that each span 45 meters/147 feet, as well as dressed stone portions.
The Triana bridge is more than just a technical marvel; it is a true symbol of the city. First and foremost, because of its distinct location, sandwiched between two equally attractive Sevilles. Second, because of its beauty and scenery, it provides one of the city’s outstanding panoramas.
24. Bridge of the Christ of the Expiration (Puente del Cristo de la Expiración)
The Christ of the Expiration Bridge is a steel structure with two dropped arches of 130 meters/ 426 feet of light and no underwater support that supports a 223-meter/ 732-foot deck. It was inspired by the Alexander III bridge in Paris and built in 1991.
The pedestrian crossings along the bridge are shaded by white tarps that hang from poles, allowing passers-by to escape the heat.
It gets its name from its proximity to the Patrocinio Chapel, a church from which the Christ of the Expiration Brotherhood leads a procession each Holy Week.
25. Barqueta Bridge (Puente de la Barqueta)
The Barqueta Bridge, also known as the Mapfre Bridge, was built between 1989 and 1992 as one of the main entrance points to the Island of the Carthusians (“Isla de la Cartuja“) during the Universal Exposition Expo ’92.
26. Alamillo Bridge and Park (Puente y Parque del Alamillo)
The Alamillo Bridge is another of Seville’s infrastructure developments for the 1992 World Expo. It is 250 meters (820 feet) long, with a maximum span of 200 meters (656 feet), and is marked by a pylon 142 meters (466 feet) high and inclined 58 degrees on the horizontal toward the Island of the Carthusians.
With thirteen pairs of cables, a pylon supports the Bridgeway. Backstays aren’t needed because the pylon’s weight is enough to counterbalance the deck.
The stay cables are linked to a hexagonal steel-box-beam spine on which the bridge deck is built. The traffic decks, with three lanes on each side, are supported by side steel wings cantilevered off the hexagonal spine. In between the traffic lanes, the top of the hexagonal spine, which is elevated 1.6 meters (5 feet) above the road level, acts as an elevated footpath and cycling lane.
Alamillo Park is located in the northernmost part of the Island of the Carthusians, between the ancient and new Guadalquivir river channels. Built around two lakes, Lake Maggiore and Lake Minor, it is complete with recreational, leisure, and sporting facilities.
Fun fact: Does the Alamillo Bridge look familiar to you?
Then you should know that the Alamillo Bridge is not the only bridge built by Calavatrava with this peculiar shape worldwide. The Puente de la Mujer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay in California, the Puente de la Unidad in Monterrey, Mexico, the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin, Ireland, and the Assut de l’Or Bridge in Valencia, Spain, the Mesogion Avenue Footbridge in Athens, Greece, and the Chords Bridge in Jerusalem, are all shaped-alike bridges by Calatrava.
Triana's zone:
27. Castle of Saint George Museum (Museo Del Castillo De San Jorge)
The Castle of Saint George Museum, commonly known as the Inquisition Museum, is located between the Traina bridge and the Triana Market, overlooking the river Guadalquivir.
The museum consists primarily of the ruins of Castillo San Jorge, the seat of the Spanish Inquisition, which has been brought to life with thorough explanations of what happened when, where, and to whom. Thousands of unfortunate souls were imprisoned at Triana over generations — the castle functioned as the headquarters of the “Tribuno del Santo Oficio o de la Santa Inquisición” from 1481 to 1785, which was established to “defend the Catholic faith”.
You will dive into the Inquisition with the help of an audio guide, a high-tech multimedia presentation, a map with pictures of other key Inquisition sites in the city, Goya drawings of suspects wearing sinister X-marked tunics and pointed hats (meaning under investigation), and a movie about a (fictional) young woman falsely accused of witchcraft because she makes cures using plants and enjoys astrology.
Free admission.
28. Triana Market (Mercado de Triana)
The Triana market is a vibrant jumble of fruit, vegetable, and meat booths with classic Spanish tiles, as well as a handful of excellent tapas bars.
Completely renovated in 2001, the Triana market is worth a visit if only to get to know the daily life and way of life of those who live there in Seville.
29. Saint Anne's Church (Iglesia de Santa Ana)
The 13th-century Saint Anne Church, also known as the Cathedral of Triana, was the first church completed in Seville after the Reconquista of 1248. It’s Gothic-Mudéjar in style, with a domed interior and a profusion of religious imagery — search for statues of Christian martyrs Santa Rufina and Santa Justa, who were potters from this area. The Giralda, which the saints are said to have saved after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, is frequently represented with them.
From the late 15th century onwards, noblemen, soldiers, merchants, seamen, and wealthy citizens of the quarter built chapels in the original part of the church, founded chantries, and left their mark, along with famous sculptors, painters, architects, metalsmiths, and potters who created the magnificent works that are part of the building or are among its artistic treasures.
The church features six chapels in the aisles, two at the feet, and the retrochoir in addition to the three-nave chapels. Between 2008 and 2010, the main altarpiece, which consists of fifteen panels, was completely repaired.
The church was severely damaged by the earthquake of November 1, 1755, therefore it was largely reconstructed and given a Baroque style, which can still be seen on the exterior. Between 1970 and 1972, an inside repair was carried out to enhance the brick and stonework, restoring the building’s medieval aspect.
Free admission.
Las Setas’ zone:
30. Metropol Parasol or The Mushrooms (Las Setas)
The Metropol Parasol, also known as the Mushrooms (Las Setas), is a wooden structure with two concrete columns that hold the access elevators to the viewpoint, located in the central Plaza de la Encarnación in Seville, and designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer. It opened in 2011.
It is the world’s largest wooden construction, measuring 150 by 70 meters (492 × 230 feet) and rising to a height of about 26 meters (35 feet).
Six giant mushroom-shaped parasols inspired by the arches of Seville’s cathedral and the ficus trees of nearby Plaza del Cristo de Burgos make up the structure. It contains a total of five levels. A lookout point and a panorama pathway cover the majority of the space on the top level.
A tapas restaurant and event area are located inside the central parasols, standing at 22 meters (72 ft). A raised, shaded, and diaphanous square (Plaza Mayor) beneath the parasols is meant to hold activities of a varied nature. The modern Incarnation Market (“Mercado de la Encarnación“), as well as commercial and catering spaces, are located on the ground floor. Finally, the Antiquarium Museum is located in the basement and houses the ancient relics discovered there.
Initially, it was not welcomed by neighbours due to an inadequate design that was in direct opposition to the classicism of ancient landmarks, but it is gradually being acknowledged as the first step toward the modernisation of the Andalusian capital.
Admission fee: 5 €/6 $ (Lookout Point), 2 €/2.45 $ (Antiquarium Museum).
31. Convent of Saint Inés (Convento de Santa Inés)
The Convent of Santa Inés was erected in numerous stages in the last third of the 14th century and throughout the 15th century, each with its unique characteristics.
It was created in 1374 by nobleman Doña María Coronel, who was fleeing King Peter I’s hostility, who had stolen her family’s wealth and ordered her husband’s imprisonment and execution. This Sevillian woman created another convent of Poor Clares in the former mansions of her father, the Lord of Aguilarafter her possessions were recovered and Henry II ascended to the crown.
The convent building, which was arranged into two bars, four courtyards, an orchard, and a cemetery, and where the chapel and the main cloister known as the Herbalist’s Church stood out, underwent an important series of changes during the 16th century.
Despite its huge urban surface, this valuable Sevillian convent is not expanded outwards, instead, it grows all of its complexity inwardly. The church has two separate entrances, each of which leads to a compass at the church’s flanks. The lathe, sacristan’s quarters, porter’s house, and regulating door are on the left, while the other offers access to the church through another door, opposite the previous one, and outside to the sacristies.
The church is notable for having three equal-height naves with ribbed vaults, which is unusual in the city’s female convents. Its factory was refurbished in 1630 with plasterwork and wall paintings by Francisco Herrera el Viejo, and during the 17th and 18th century, it was embellished with Baroque altarpieces.
The Baroque organ made famous by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer in his renowned legend ” Maese Pérez, the Organist” is one of the elements that stand out. The nuns at this convent (Franciscan Poor Clares) are well known for their sweets.
Free admission.
32. Monastery of Saint Paula (Monasterio de Santa Paula)
The Hieronymite nuns’ Saint Paula Monastery is one of the most representative and accessible of Seville’s convents and monasteries. It includes a fantastic Permanent Art Exhibition that may be visited and from which you can see a portion of the cloister.
The religious complex consists of a church constructed between 1483 and 1489 and a 16th-century cloister that was considerably enlarged throughout the 17th century. A small brick gateway leads to a manicured atrium in front of the church from the street level. The gateway to the church, an immense brick-and-tile edifice erected in 1504 by sculptor Pedro Millán and Francisco Niculoso Pisano, is the most prominent feature of the atrium. Its distinctive design, known as the Niculoso Pisano Portal, combines Gothic and Mudéjar style with Renaissance components.
Nuns from four continents today make up the community, which is known for its sweets and jams. Each Saint Paula product is created using a unique recipe that has been refined through time.
Admission fee: 4 €/4.9 $.
33. Pilate’s House (Casa de Pilatos)
The Pilate’s House was built in the 16th century by order of Don Pedro Enríquez de Quiñones, IV Chief Governor of Andalucía, and later by his son Fadrique Enriques de Ribera, 1st Marquis of Tarifa. This is the most beautiful palace in Seville, after the Alcazar of course, and it is one of the best-preserved buildings from the 16th century.
It is named after the house of Pontius Pilate, which they tried to emulate, and by whom Fadrique Enriques de Ribera was inspired during his pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
This palace combines different architectural styles, such as Gothic, Mudéjar and Italian Renaissance styles. It has a beautifully decorated patio with a well and fountain. As you walk through the arches of the patio, you will see 24 busts of Roman emperors and Greek gods. In addition, the palace has many marble columns and floors, long corridors, ceiling paintings, large wooden doors, mudéjar tiles (“azulejos“), chapels and especially a beautiful and colourful palace garden in Italian style. The overall effect is like a mini-Alcázar.
Nowadays, this palace is still partly inhabited (upper floor) and is the residence of the 18th Duchess of Medinaceli and her family.
Admission fees: 12 €/14.7 $ (complete House ticket with a guided tour to the upper floor), 10 €/12.2 $ (ground floor ticket ). Free admission for EU citizens on Mondays from 3 pm to 7 pm.
34. Church of Saint Catalina (Iglesia de Santa Catalina)
The Gothic and Mudejar-style church of Saint Catalina was built in the 14th century. It was erected on the ruins of a mosque, the minaret (a Mudejar tower modelled after La Giralda) and the mihrab (a niche carrying the Koran and to which Muslims look during prayer) of which have been preserved.
They salvaged the Gothic portal of the church Saint Lucia, which had been destroyed in 1930, and replaced it with the existing Mudejar gateway during the main restoration from 1923 to 1930.
The church features three naves and a Mudejar-style timber structure.
Free admission.
35. Las Dueñas Palace (Palacio de las Dueñas)
Until her death in 2014, the Duquesa de Alba, one of Spain’s most prominent aristocrats and one of Seville’s most well-known celebrities, resided in Las Dueñas Palace. Her eldest son, Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 19th Duke of Alba, now owns the property, which he officially opened to the public in March 2016.
It was erected in the 15th and 16th centuries by the Pineda family, who were forced to sell it to Doña Catalina de Ribera in 1484 to reclaim Don Juan de Pineda, who had been kidnapped by the Moors.
The convent of Santa María de las Dueñas, also known as the Compañía de Dueñas, gave it its name.
The palace consists of a series of courtyards and structures. It contains samples and details with traditional Sevillian characteristics in the bricks, roof tiles, wall tiles, whitewashing, and ceramics, ranging from Gothic-Mudéjar to Renaissance. Like the Casa Pilatos, it has a traditional Andalusian patio, and wide areas predominate to emphasize its overall magnificence.
The coat of arms of the Duchy of Alba is shown at the palace’s entry, with tiles from Triana dating from the 17th and 18th centuries adorning the main arch.
A courtyard surrounds the palace, which is framed by arches with white marble columns that support pilasters with Plateresque ornamentation and a Plateresque frieze. Another gallery, with arches in the Mudejar style, was built above this one.
The Plateresque arch in the lower galleries, to the west of the patio, is also in the Plateresque style. Several tiles with metallic reflections, typical of Sevillian ceramics from the 16th century, may be found on the chapel’s main altar.
The main feature of the palace’s upper floor is a salon with an octagonal gilded panelled ceiling and renaissance-style woodwork.
The Las Dueñas Palace is also known for its important collection of artworks, which includes mostly Spanish paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, but also some earlier works by Bassano (Los Cacharreros), Francesco Furini (The Creation of Eva), and Neri di Bicci (a Virgin) (that stands over the altar in the chapel).
Empress Eugénie de Montijo, politician and English Hispanist Lord Holland, Edward VIII and his brother George VI, Alfonso XIII, Jacqueline Kennedy, Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, Grace Kelly and her husband Prince Rainier of Monaco, and others were among the famous visitors to the residence.
Admission fee: 12 €/14.7 $.
36. Palace of the Countess of Lebrija (Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija)
Set around a lovely Renaissance-Mudéjar courtyard, this wealthy 16th-century palace has an eclectic style that incorporates an array of ornamental elements like Roman mosaics, Mudéjar plasterwork, and Renaissance stonework. The late Countess of Lebrija was an archaeologist who renovated the mansion in 1914, filling several rooms with antiquities collected during her travels.
The most distinguishing feature of the Palace of the Countess of Lebrija is an outstanding collection of Roman mosaics that cover nearly the whole ground floor, making it Europe’s “best-paved palace-house“. It covers two stories and has a total size of about 2500 m² (26910 ft²). It has a two-story marble façade with pilasters on the bottom floor. A broad golden iron and polychrome grille separates a hallway with a wooden roof.
The extensive collection of tiles from throughout the home, which dates back to the 16th century, is also noteworthy. The plasterwork embellishing the arches with marble columns, as well as the Roman mosaic dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, stand out in the central courtyard. This mosaic was found on the Countess’s property, notably in the Palaces’ olive grove. Eight medallions portray events from Zeus’ love affairs, and the seasons of the year are shown in the corners. The central medallion represents the God Bread with the flute, in love with Galatea, to whom he dedicates his songs.
Its walls are a genuine exhibit of architectural styles, with components including Arabic arches, plateresque embellishments, tile plinths from a ruined convent, coffered ceilings from a 16th-century palace, a Renaissance frieze, and the façade and floor plan in Seville’s Andalusian style.
There are also ceramics, statues, and other artefacts from Greece, Rome, Etruscan, and Persian cultures, as well as Louis XIV furniture, jewellery, and other artefacts.
There are Asian and Arabic-themed rooms, a library, and a family dining area on the second floor. Paintings by Van Dyck and Murillo school artists are also on display.
Admission fee: 12 €/14.7 $. Free on Fridays at 10:00.
37. Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes)
After the Prado Museum in Madrid, the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville is possibly Spain’s most important art museum.
The museum houses works of art from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and early modern periods, primarily by Spanish artists such as Francisco da Herrera, Murillo, El Greco, Pacheco, Alonso Cano, Velásquez, José Garcia Ramos, and Francisco Zurbarán, but also by foreign painters such as Jan Brueghel l’Ancien, Pieter Aertsen, and Cornelis de Vos.
The current museum building was initially erected as a La Merced convent for the Order of La Merced Calzada de la Asunción, and was restored in Mudéjar style in 1662. The monastic order was ejected from the structure in 1835 after the church property was expropriated. The first museum, which opened in 1839, featured art from monasteries and temples. The museum did not begin to host private collections until the turn of the twentieth century. The Museum has only possessed a permanent collection of art since 1970.
All EU nationals are entitled to free admission. For the others, it is 1.5€/1.8$.
With the Museum of Fine Arts this second part of “50 things to visit in Seville, Spain” comes to an end as well. Click here to check out the first part, or here to have a look at the third one!
P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to receive a heads-up as soon as the third and last part of this article will be released. You do not want to miss it!
Gracias, un gran trabajo, completo y exhaustivo. Es maravilloso viajar así.
Muchas gracias Letizia por tu comentario. ¡Qué alegría que te haya gustado!
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Alessia