Inside Cathedral de Sevilla

With fifteen doors to choose from, let’s use the main one located in the center of the west façade on Avenida de la Constitution. This is the Door of Assumption. Before we walk inside take a moment to admire the intricate carving of the Assumption above the door by Ricardo Bellver over the span of twenty-one years between 1877 and 1898.

Once in the Cathedral, look to the side of the door we just entered and you will see Christopher Columbus’s sarcophagus carried by the four large statues representing the kingdoms of Aragón, Castille, León and Navarra.

To say the interior of the Cathedral is magnificent fails to do justice. The sheer size and grandeur of the ever-present stone is softened by the soaring dome and vaulted ceilings, immense stained glass windows and columns that seem to reach to the sky. When seen as a whole, the interplay between the parts becomes one of innate simplicity and restraint. This is hard to understand until you are actually standing inside the 11,520 square meters (124,000 square feet) of the Cathedral and can experience it firsthand. Cathedral de Sevilla might be the world’s largest cathedral – but it is one of and for the people. With five spaces and eighty chapels, this hall-like church is enormous but not intimidating.

In the main body of the Cathedral the great boxlike choir loft that fills the central portion of the nave vies for attention with the world’s largest altarpiece. The Gothic Retablo Mayor (altarpiece) is literally a wall of gold at one end of the main chapel. Pierre Dancart, the Flemish artist who designed the Retablo, spent forty-four years of his life sculpting the reliefs. Begun in 1482 the altarpiece was completed in 1564 with the help of other artists.

The Retablo Mayor, consisting of thirty-six gilded relief panels, depicts scenes from the Old Testament and the lives of various saints. In front of this ‘wall of gold’ is a statue of Santa Maria de la Sede, patron saint of the Cathedral. Large iron grilles, forged between 1518 and 1532, serve to separate visitors from the Retablo Mayor. It was mentioned earlier that a great deal of Spain’s and the New World’s more recent history is encapsulated in the history of the Cathedral; much of the gold used in the Retablo came from the Americas.

A few of the more noteworthy chapels and worth seeing are the lavishly ornate Royal Chapel, the Chapel of St. Peter and the Chapel of St. Anthony, the latter of which contains Murillo’s The Vision of St. Anthony painted in 1656.

Additional Royal Tombs of Castilian kings and queens buried during the 13th and 14th centuries can be found in the crypt under the altar.

Also worth a visit is the Cathedral Museum in the main sacristy. This is where some of the most valuable paintings as well as the large silver ostensorium (monstrance) are kept.

And the doors! All fifteen are worth a look if you have time.

Along with the Door of the Assumption we entered, the west side of the Cathedral has the Gothic Door of Baptism created by Lorenzo Mercadante in the 15th century; the Door of Saint Michael (also known as the Door of the Nativity) by Pedro Millan. Built in the 15th century as well, it is decorated with terracotta sculptures of Saint Laurean, Saint Hermengild and the Four Evangelists. This door is used for the Holy Week processions.

On the Cathedral’s north side the Door of Forgiveness allows access to the Patio de los Naranjos from Calle Alemanes. Note the horseshoe shaped arch above the door. This is the courtyard by which the faithful entered the mosque, first stopping at the central fountain to the wash their hands and feet before prayers. The stone fountain dates back to the Visigoth or possibly the Roman era.

The Puerta del Lagarto (Door of the Lizard), named for the stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling, leads from the Orange Tree Courtyard.

Puerta de los Palos, also known as The Door of Sticks and/or the Adoration of the Magi is near the Giralda Tower. This door has a relief depicting the Adoration of the Magi and was created by Miguel Florentín in 1520. He also designed the relief Puerta de las Campanillas showing Christ's entry intro Jerusalem. The name "Palos" or "Sticks" is due to the wooden railing which separates that area from the rest of the building.