When we first arrived in Seville, I noticed that it was more crowded and had less of a coastal feel than any city we visited in Portugal. I was impressed when I saw that Seville had more shopping areas, restaurants and a busier nightlife. While Portugal was more relaxed, Seville had more sights to see, and the city came to life after dark. In Seville, I was able to see many different types of buildings, foods, and had the opportunity to experience authentic Spanish culture. The most fascinating moment of my visit to Seville was our journey to the Seville Cathedral. I loved learning about the history of religions and seeing old churches, but I have never been able to experience anything like the Seville Cathedral. Our guide, Gloria, told us that the cathedral is the third largest in the world, and was built in the Gothic architectural style. She took us into the cathedral, and I was mesmerized by the huge, vaulted ceilings, and the spectacular organs on each side of the cathedral that were made out of wood and carved with intricate designs.
Today, they are no longer owned by private families, and remain a part of the cathedral. Next, we were led into a room where there was a large, wooden, statue of Christ on the cross and explained that it was made here in Spain. Gloria talked about the importance of religion in Spain, and taught us about the parades that take place in the city every Easter during La Semana Santa, where people carry a heavy statue of Christ on their backs throughout the city. There were separate areas of the cathedral, blocked off by large, iron gates, and Gloria explained that these areas were once privately owned by wealthy families. These families would have these sections of the cathedral as their own personal place of worship and could even be buried there. After she told us about the traditions and practices of La Semana Santa, Gloria led us into a room that contained some of the treasures the cathedral owned. We saw gold goblets dating back over 500 years, gold plates, and even two crowns decorated with pearls and jewels. They were spectacular. I loved visiting the Seville Cathedral, and my absolute favorite part was climbing the tower that contained a ramp with 34 turns, and seeing the mesmerizing 360 views of the entire city of Seville.
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