Royal Chapel, Seville Cathedral
The Royal Chapel serves as the main function of the cathedral. It consists of a square plan with an apse and two side chapels, with a hemispherical dome and lantern cover made between 1567 and 1569 by Hernán Ruiz the Younger . In this chapel is located the pantheon with the silver urn of King San Fernando made by Juan Laureano de Pina in the Baroque style. On an altar in this crypt is the image of the Virgen de las Batallas, a 13th-century ivory sculpture. In the main altarpiece of the Royal Chapel, from the 17th century, the Gothic image of the Virgin of the Kings , patron saint of the city and of the archdiocese of Seville, is placed .
The Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of Seville, (Spain), is located at the head of the Cathedral of Seville, and in it are buried, among other members of royalty, the monarchs Fernando III of Castilla, Alfonso X of Castilla and Pedro I of Castilla. The image of the Virgin of the Kings, patron saint of the city of Seville, is also found in it, and the worship of this chapel was attended from the Conquest by royal chaplains, although at present said chapter is integrated into the Seville cathedral.
History
Before the current Royal Chapel was built, there were two other royal chapels in the cathedral of Seville. In one of them were buried Fernando III, Queen Beatriz de Suabia, Alfonso X and Fadrique Alfonso de Castilla, and in the other Royal Chapel rested the remains of Queen María de Padilla and her son, the Infante Alfonso de Castilla.
However, the two chapels were demolished in the 15th century in order to build the new Royal Chapel of the cathedral.
Reconstruction
The construction of the Royal Chapel lasted for almost a century, and in 1489 the cathedral chapter held talks with the master builder Alonso Rodríguez about the type of material that should be used to build the Royal Chapel, whose works had not yet begun.
In 1515 the cathedral chapter requested the traces of the work of the Royal Chapel from the architects Enrique Egas and Juan de Álava, although a few years later the architects Juan Gil de Hontañón and Martín de Gainza elaborated other projects, supervising Alonso de Covarrubias one of them., although works did not begin in the Royal Chapel until 1551.
Construction began after commissioning the building, through a public auction, from Martín de Gainza, who drew up new plans and conditions for the construction, and this architect directed the works in the Royal Chapel until the time of his death, which occurred in 1556. But at the time of his death, only the perimeter walls and the sanctuary of the presbytery had been built, and also by then some problems had been detected in the foundation of the work.
Hernán Ruiz the Younger was appointed architect of the Seville Cathedral in 1557, although the works in the Royal Chapel remained interrupted for several years until they were resumed in 1562. And under the direction of Hernán Ruiz the Younger, the casetone vault was built. of the central space of the chapel and the entrance doors to the sacristies. However, Hernán Ruiz the Younger was unable to complete the work, and the work was completed under the supervision of Pedro Díaz de Palacios, Juan de Maeda and their son Asensio de Maeda.
Although most of the works in the Royal Chapel had already been completed in 1575, the mortal remains of the monarchs buried in the cathedral of Seville were not transferred to the new Royal Chapel until 1579, during the reign of Felipe II. [October ][November] In the eighteenth century reforms undertaken again in the Royal Chapel, and in 1754 Sebastian Van der Borcht remade the lantern that tops the central dome of the chapel.
The space Real Chapel replaces the old gothic apse was demolished to build the new enclosure. It forms a wide square enclosure closed by a semicircular apse and covered by a solemn dome.
Two small chapels with their corresponding sacristies open on its sides; on these chapels are located tribunes outside. Two stained glass windows made by Vicente Menardo in 1574, which have undergone numerous subsequent restorations, contribute to the lighting of the enclosure. The work of this chapel was designed and directed by the architect Martín de Gainza from 1551.
In 1556, on the death of this architect, the work was complete except for the dome, which was to be completed by 1568 by the architect Hernán Ruiz II; the exterior of this cupola is compartmentalized with casetones in which the heads of kings were included.
The new Royal Chapel
The Royal Chapel occupies the head of the cathedral, protruding from the perimeter of the Gothic building. Its plant is square, although it has a semicircular front to which two chapels and sacristy paths are laterally connected, the outer wall that surrounds them being curved.
The entrance to the Royal Chapel is made through a semicircular arch on which a series of niches containing images of the Kings of Judah, made by Pedro de Campos and Lorenzo de Bao, are housed. The gate that closes the way to the Royal Chapel was designed in 1766 by Sebastián Van der Borcht, and was paid for by King Carlos III of Spain, as indicated by the inscription located on the top of the gate, where it also appears inscribed the year the gate was placed in the Royal Chapel, “1773”. At the top of the grate there is a representation, made by Jerónimo Roldán, of theDelivery of the keys to the city of Seville Fernando III Santo, event in 1248.
The central space of the Royal Chapel is covered by a hemispherical vault that rests on pendentives and is divided into caseons and decorated with busts of kings and discs. On the keys of the arches that connect the Royal Chapel with the side chapels are placed two large medallions that tradition identifies with the gentlemen Diego and Garci Pérez de Vargas, who stood out in the reconquest of the city of Seville by Fernando III. The stained glass windows of the Royal Chapel, which are decorated with royal coats of arms, were made by Vicente Menardo from 1574 and were restored on several occasions.
On the wall of the presbytery of the Royal Chapel, eight niches are placed on two separate levels that contain the images of the four Evangelists, and of San Isidoro, San Leandro, Santas Justa and Rufina, the last two images having been carved by Diego de Fishing. And next to the main altar in the chapel are the images of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, crowned by the Vision of Isaiah, the latter having been carved by Pedro de Campos and Lorenzo de Bao.
The altarpiece that presides over the Royal Chapel was made by the assembler Luis Ortiz de Vargas between 1643 and 1649, and in its central niche is the image of the Virgin of the Kings, while on the sides of the altarpiece are the images of Saint Joaquín and Santa Ana, which were executed in the same period in which the altarpiece was made. The Virgin of the Kings carries the Child Jesus on her lap, and both images, dating from the 13th century, show influences from the French Gothic.
The front of the altar of the Virgen de los Reyes was made in silver and is in the Baroque style, and its central part was carved by the silversmith Juan Laureano de Pina in 1719, although it was later reformed by the silversmith José de Villaviciosa in 1739. The sides of the front, which feature the punches of the silversmith Domínguez, were made around 1739, and the chandeliers that are on the side tables, and which are shaped like double-headed eagles, are the work of Peruvian silverware from the 18th century.
In the left chapel there is an altarpiece made by Juan de Torres in 1648 in which an image of the Ecce Homo made by Francisco Terrili is placed and in front of the altarpiece there is a showcase in which various pieces of silverware are displayed, highlighting among them several chalices and trays from different periods.
In the right chapel there is an altarpiece made in 1638 by Luis de Figueroa, and in it an image of San Antonio is placed. The stalls and the facistol were made in the late eighteenth century and donated to the Royal Chapel by King Charles IV of Spain, and King Ferdinand VII, for his part, donated the candlesticks to the Royal Chapel in 1823. the gilded bronze cross that are placed on the main altar of the chapel and that were made by the Leprince bronzes.
The dome lantern sank in 1754, being rebuilt by Sebastian van der Borch. Outside the apse of the chapel, the sculptural decoration is in Plateresque style and was made by artists to whom the figures of kings who appear in the arch of the entrance to the chapel, the angels that adorn the veneer of the apse and the frieze surrounding the chapel. On the sides are niches that house sculptures made between 1571 and 1574.
The sacristy of the Royal Chapel, in which various objects related to King San Fernando are guarded, such as his sword, is accessed from the left chapel and through a small door, and among the paintings that decorate it stands out a canvas that It represents San Fernando, which is a copy of the one that Bartolomé Esteban Murillo made for the Cathedral of Seville, and a Dolorosa, also a copy of an original by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. And in the sacristy there are also two paintings from the end of the 17th century that represent, respectively, the Virgin of the Kings and Saint Joseph. And the organ placed in the rostrum of the Royal Chapel was made in 1807 by Antonio Otin Calvete and is in a neoclassical style.
The urn of San Fernando
The urn containing the incorrupt body of King San Fernando is placed before the altar of the Virgen de los Reyes, and was made between 1690 and 1719 by the aforementioned goldsmith Juan Laureano de Pina, although with the participation of other goldsmiths, being considered the crowning glory of Sevillian baroque goldsmiths. [fifteen]And the urn, which was carved with silver in its color and gilt, bronze and glass, was built on the occasion of the monarch’s canonization, which was raised to the altars in 1671, although in reality it is made up of two different boxes, being the interior, which has its glass sides, the one that contains the remains of the monarch, and the exterior, which is made of silver in its color and gilt and bronze, which is intended to house the aforementioned, although the exterior has a folding front that allows you to see the remains of the monarch.
The urn, which rests on a jasper base, usually remains closed, although it can be opened to show the incorrupt body of the aforementioned monarch, and all of it is profusely adorned with floral and vegetable motifs and with an iconographic program that shows the virtues of King San Fernando and the apotheosis of the Hispanic Catholic Monarchy.
The front placed in front of the urn of San Fernando was made of silver in the 18th century and shows the punches of the Recent and Villaviciosa goldsmiths.
Graves of Alfonso X and Beatriz de Suabia
On the side of the Gospel of the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of Seville it is placed the tomb of Alfonso X of Castile, which was built in 1948 on the occasion of the centenary seventh of the conquest of the city of Seville, which capitulated in 1248, by Fernando III the Saint.
The praying statue representing Alfonso X is the work of the sculptors Antonio Cano and Carmen Jiménez. The mausoleum of the king is identical to that of Queen Beatrix of Swabia, his mother, who is located in front of him, and consists of two superposed flanked by columns at the ends. The first body contains the urn where the mortal remains of Alfonso X, In whose front is a dinosaur and a cartouche where you can read the inscription: «Alfonso X el Sabio». And above the urn is placed the praying statue representing the monarch, who appears covered by a royal cloak, crowned with a bronze crown, and kneeling before a kneeler. And the second body of the mausoleum, which is topped by a pediment, is occupied by a circular medallion on which the shield of the kingdom of Castilla y León is placed.
The tombs located in the open niches in the side walls keep the remains of Alfonso X the wise and his mother Beatriz de Suavia. The frames of these tombs are also in Plateresque style and were made around 1570, the sculptures of the monarchs being more modern works.
The chapel is presided over by an altarpiece made around 1646 by Luis Ortiz de Vargas, where, in the main niche and under a silver canopy, the image of the Virgin of the Kings is worshiped , this being a 13th century Gothic figure of origin French.
On the side of the Epistle of the Royal Chapel it is placed the tomb containing the remains of Queen Beatrix of Swabia, wife of Fernando III and mother of Alfonso X. and the tomb of Queen, which equal that that of his son Alfonso X was built in 1948, it is formed by two superimposed bodies that are flanked by columns at the ends. The first body contains the box where the mortal remains of the queen, In whose front is a cartouche where you can read the inscription “Beatriz de Suabia”. And the second body of the mausoleum, which is topped by a pediment, is occupied by a circular medallion in which they are placed the shield of the Kingdom of Castile and Leon, the same as that of his son Alfonso X. The Praying statue of Queen Beatrice of Swabia, which was made of stone and alabaster by the sculptor Juan Luis Vasallo, represents the queen with a youthful appearance and wearing a headdress and crown, and casts and lions are sculpted in her cloak, the rest of the mausoleum of the queen identical to that of his son Alfonso X.
Crypt of the Royal Chapel
On both sides of this altar there are stairs that communicate with the crypt, which acts as the Royal Pantheon and where the remains of different members of the Spanish royal family, such as those of Pedro I of Castilla and his wife, María de Padilla.
In the Royal Chapel, a small altar placed in it was the image of the Virgin of Battles., carved in ivory and which according to tradition was worn by King Ferdinand III the Saint during his military campaigns, said image being made in the 13th century and showing a clear French influence. The following royalty members are buried in the crypt of the Royal Chapel:
Pedro I of Castilla (1334-1369). King of Castilla y León and son of Alfonso XI of Castilla and María of Portugal.
María de Padilla (c. 1334-1361), wife of the former and queen consort of Castilla y León.
Alfonso de Castilla (1359-1362). Son of the previous ones.
Juan de Castilla (1355-1405). Son of Pedro I of Castilla and Juana de Castro.
Fadrique Alfonso de Castilla (1333-1358). Master of the Order of Santiago and son of Alfonso XI de Castilla and his lover Leonor de Guzmán.
In the left interior of the chapel there is a small altarpiece from where you can access the hall together, where there are several showcases that keep valuable objects related to San Fernando, including his wife, including pieces of precious metalwork that complete this treasure.
Various pictorial works from the late 17th century hang on the walls. In the tribune that appears on this chapel is a neoclassical organ made by Antonio Otin Calvete in 1807. Towards the right an enclosure is opened that houses a choral stalls and a facistol, works from the 18th century and were donated by Carlos IV; There is also an altarpiece to San Antonio from 1638 and a good set of paintings that, after the modernization works for the new access to the chapel, appear in the sacristy of the chapel dating from the end of the 17th century and the first quarter of the century XVIII.
Inside, the entrance to the chapel is closed with a magnificent grille designed by Sebastián van der Borh that was paid for by King Carlos III, being placed in 1771. At the top of the grille, there is a sculpture of San Fernando receiving horses on horseback. keys to Seville , the work of Jerónimo Roldán.
Seville Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See is located in Seville. It is Gothic in style. It is the largest cathedral in the world. The Unesco declared in 1987, with the Real Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias, Heritage and, on July 25, 2010, Good of outstanding universal value. According to tradition, the construction began in 1401, although there is no documentary evidence of the beginning of the works until 1433. The construction was carried out on the site that was left after the demolition of the old aljama mosque in Seville, whose minaret (La Giralda) and patio (patio de los Naranjos) are still preserved.
One of the first masters of works was Master Carlin (Charles Galter), from Normandy (France), who had previously worked in other great European Gothic cathedrals and arrived in Spain believed to be fleeing the Hundred Years War. On October 10, 1506, the last stone was placed in the highest part of the dome, with which symbolically the cathedral was completed, although in fact work continued uninterruptedly throughout the centuries, both for the interior decoration, such as to add new rooms or to consolidate and restore the damage caused by the passage of time, or extraordinary circumstances, among which it is worth noting the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 that produced only minor damage despite its intensity. The architects Diego de Riaño, Martín de Gainza and Asensio de Maeda intervened in these works. Also at this stageHernán Ruiz built the last body of the Giralda. The cathedral and its outbuildings were completed in 1593.
The Metropolitan Cabildo maintains the daily liturgy and the celebration of the Corpus, Immaculate and Virgin of the Kings festivities. This last day, August 15, is also the titular festival of the temple, Santa María de la Asunción or de la Sede, and is celebrated with a solemn third and pontifical procession.
The temple houses the mortal remains of Christopher Columbus and several kings of Castile: Pedro I el Cruel, Fernando III el Santo and his son, Alfonso X el Sabio.
One of the last important works carried out took place in 2008 and consisted of replacing 576 ashlars that made up one of the great pillars that support the temple, with new stone blocks of similar characteristics but with much greater resistance. This difficult work was possible thanks to the use of innovative technological systems that showed that the building suffered oscillations of 2 cm daily as a consequence of the expansion of its materials.