King Pedro the Cruel built this magnificent 14th-century mudéjar or Moorish
style palace north of the cathedral. It's the oldest royal residence in Europe
still in use: On visits to Seville,
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía stay here. Ferdinand and Isabella, who at one
time lived in the Alcázar and influenced its architectural evolution, welcomed Columbus
here on his return from America.
The visitor will enter through the Puerta del León or Lion's Door, which is
flanked by two towers. Continue straight ahead into the Patio de la Montería,
where the court once assembled. In the audience chamber here, you can see a
replica of the Santa María and an impressive altarpiece, Virgin of
the Navigators, which was painted by Alejo Fernández in 1531. From this
courtyard the facade of the Palacio Pedro confronts one. Further inside is the Patio
de las Doncellas or Court of the Maidens. An upper story was added to this
exquisite patio of Moorish arches in the 1500s. Other landmarks in this palace
include the Salón de Embajadores or Ambassadors' Hall, constructed in
1427 and dominated by an impressive cedarwood cupola that is often described as
a "half orange." This hall also has a trio of symmetrically arranged
and ornate arches, each with three horseshoe arches. The Salón del Techo
is notable for its coffered ceiling, and the Patio de las Muñecas or
Doll's Court is small, but splendidly and delicately ornamented. The Salones
de Carlos V lay to the immediate right facing Pedro's palace. These rooms
are decorated with beautiful 16th-century tiles, and contain a stunning
collection of 16th-century tapestries from Brussels
that depict the life of the emperor and his conquest of Tunis
in 1535. The gardens or the palace are a wonderful oasis from the heat of a
summer day. The Jardín Inglés, modeled on 18th-century English gardens,
dates to 1909, and the Jardín de los Poetas or Poets' Garden features
two ponds evocative of those once designed by the Arabs