Giralda and Seville Cathedral

The Cathedral of Santa María de la Sede of Seville is the largest Gothic church in the world and the most visited monument in the city. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 together with the Royal Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies, it was built between 1402 and 1506 on the site of the former Almohad mosque. Inside it houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus, more than 80 chapels, the largest high altar in the world —with 44 gilded panels and nearly a thousand carved figures— and artistic treasures of incalculable value, such as paintings by Murillo, Zurbarán and Goya. The Giralda, its 104-metre bell tower, was built as an Almohad minaret between 1184 and 1196 and turned into a Christian tower after the Reconquista. Its 35 interior ramps —designed so that riders could climb on horseback— lead up to the terrace with the best panoramic views of Seville.