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The Cathedral of Seville, Andalusia, Spain |
The
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Sea (
Catedral de Santa María de la Sede), better known as
Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Seville, Andalusia, Spain.
Seville's Cathedral occupies the site of a great mosque in the late 12th century. It is the
largest Cathedral in Spain and the third largest (by square footage) in the entire world. It is one of the last
Spanish Gothic Cathedrals, and the Renaissance style is already evident there. Its impressive size makes it the third largest in the Christian world, after Saint Peter's in Vatican City and Saint Paul's in London.
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Interior - The Cathedral of Seville, Andalusia, Spain |
With its five naves it is the
largest Gothic building in Europe.
Christian architects added
the extra dimension of height. Its central nave rises to an amazing 42
meters and even the side chapels seem tall enough to contain an ordinary
church.
The total area covers 11,520 square meters. The lifetime's work of a single craftsman,
Pierre Dancart,
this is the ultimate masterpiece of the cathedral - the largest and
richest altarpiece in the world and one of the finest examples of
Gothic woodcarving anywhere.
The cathedralwas completed in just over a century (1402-1506).
Inside
the Cathedral of Seville
you will be struck by the size and richness of this universe of stone,
stained glass windows and wrought iron work. The lightness of the
columns accentuates the height of this hall-church with five spaces and
lateral chapels.
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Interior - Seville Cathedral |
The simple crossing ogive vaults cover the nave except
for the transept crossing where the flamboyant vaults stand 56 m tall. A
mirror in the floor lets you appreciate the superb carving. Along with
the city's
Alcazar and Archivo de las Indias, Seville Cathedral was designated a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1987.
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