The Real Alcazar of Seville, Spain

History, cuisine, beauty, and architecture make Seville, Spain a city that I recommend everyone visit if they can. My personal favorite site is the Real Alcazar de Sevilla/the royal palace of Seville.

The Phoenicians founded the city about 800 BC on the Guadalquivir River. Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and finally the Castilians (Spanish) conquered and claimed Seville. The Muslim Moors began construction in the 10th century on the site of a Visigoth basilica. Over the next 400 years, they expanded the palace, protected by immense walls.

The Real Alcazar is one of the finest examples of Mudejar architecture. Almost all that the Moors built was destroyed except the palace walls. Fortunately, the Spanish hired Muslim artisans to construct a new palace. This led to a mixture of Christian and Islamic influences creating the Mudejar style. Over the following centuries, other styles like gothic and baroque were added and superimposed.

The palace is still one of the official residences of the Spanish monarchy. Join me this week as we explore the magnificent Real Alcazar of Seville, including the gardens.