A Spanish Royal Palace

by sarahcoggrave

When I booked my flight to Seville, I dreamt of bright blue skies and deliciously warm sunshine. Reality didn’t quite deliver, but following the muted grey of the first day, I was rewarded with a clear and sparkling sunrise on the second.

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It was still pretty chilly though.

As a perpetual early riser it is always a huge pleasure to be amongst the first to gaze upon a new day. It was impossible to sleep at the hostel anyway (loud noise all night, as I’ve mentioned) so I found myself awaiting the break of dawn all the more eagerly than usual.

After a peaceful walk by the Guadalquivir River, I ate my breakfast of cheese sandwiches (so sophisticated) by the Cathedral, accompanied only by a few solitary passers-by and a handful of curious birds.

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I was first in line to enter the Reales Alcázares de Sevilla, a gorgeous palace hidden behind imposing stone walls.

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One of only a few sights I paid to ‘see’ (as I mentioned, most of my itinerary was based around a small budget), this was by far the most impressive. I’d never visited a palace previously, not even Buckingham Palace.

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The Reales Alcázares is Moorish fantasy; I couldn’t help but reminded of Scarborough’s former Aquarium in the UK, which sought to emulate this Eastern-inspired opulance during the Victorian obssession with all things exotic. Parts of the Spanish palace are, apparently, still used by members of the country’s monarchy, from time to time.

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Of course there were tiles and intricate patterns aplenty; serene courtyards with fountains and cool, shady archways and corridors. Even a bathing house of sorts in the basement (see above). The gardens, richly lined with palm trees, hedges and walkways, were luscious and shady. A tad too nippy in February perhaps, but presumably a wonderful shelter from the oppressive heat in summer.

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This regal paradise makes references to a history I know very little about – it has survived centuries of war and bloodshed, and housed leaders I cannot name. Built by the labour of the unnamed and unacknowledged; maintained as a tribute to the past, today – thanks to UNESCO World Heritage status.

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Two other buildings in Seville have been awarded this privilege. One is the Cathedral, a structure I repeatedly admired from the outside in passing, but never actually managed to see inside. The other, the Archivo General de Indias, I was able to explore.

See also:

Beginning At The End

Some Practical Matters

The Road To Seville

Spanish Tiles And Spectacular Ceilings

CAAC: Contemporary Art In Seville

Seville: A Photographic Interlude