Today we're going to
take a peek at a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Seville called the Alcázar. This
beautiful palace and grounds were originally built in the 8th century,
although most of the buildings there today are much newer than that. Don't forget that you
can immerse yourself in the Alcázar in our 360 video series, designed for
virtual reality users!
This is one of the key
tourist sites to visit when in Seville (and is not free, by the way) so expect crowds
during the busy summer months. I would also recommend taking a picnic into the Alcázar so you can have some food in the beautiful grounds that surround the palace - you'll probably be in there for a few hours so why not?
What makes the Alcázar so special is the architecture. It is one of, if not the finest example of Mudéjar architecture, which is a style created by the Moors (Muslims) that
remained on the peninsula in the late medieval period, despite the Christian
reconquest. It is so beautiful that the Christian rulers of Seville wanted this
style in their palace, and hired Muslims to help them build the Alcázar. This
combination is a fine example of how integrating cultures can have a sublime
result both functionally and aesthetically.
The palace has many
rooms that have history leaking from the walls but the main part I took away
from it was the intricacy of the design. These long projects of construction
and design that spanned generations show off the human ingenuity that is
possible, even without the benefit of modern technology.
In the gardens there
was all sorts of wildlife, including peacocks and a variety of fish. It was also
the setting for the filming of Dorne in Game of Thrones, so it was cool
getting a personal view of that.
All in all it was a
lovely way to spend five-ish hours in Seville and well worth the entrance fee
and time spent making the 360 immersive video of the site.
Next week we'll look at
another UNESCO site in Seville and explore the plethora of churches and
religious buildings that make up a large proportion of the beautiful buildings
in the city. Until then.
