La Giralda, the symbol of Sevilla

La Giralda is the symbol of our city and has a long history, a beautiful story, and numerous legends. In this blog we will tell you a little more about this. And who knows you recognize things when you are cycling in our city.

What can be seen in and on la Giralda?

La Giralda is accessible through Seville Cathedral and to visit during your holiday in Seville! You do have to have a nice condition to climb the tower because you go up about 90 meters! You don't have to walk a staircase but walk up a slope. The many windows and the roof of the tower give you a very nice view of the city and it is well worth walking up.

The different faces of the tower La Giralda has gone through many different phases. As we now know, she used to serve as the great minaret. On this tower there were 3 large balls, which you could see 40 kilometers outside the city. On these metal spheres the sunlight appeared and because the minaret was at that moment the highest tower in the area you could see it from a very far distance. The minaret was at that time more than 80 meters high.

In 1248, the Christians from the north invaded Seville and defeated the Moors. The old minaret, when already a symbol of the power of the city, was threatened to be broken down by the Almohaden. However, the ´deal´ was closed with King Ferdinand, the conqueror of the city, who, if the tower was handed in in honor, the city was without a greater amount of blood waste. This has enabled us to retain its North African appearance until today.

In 1365, Seville was hit by an earthquake and a large part of the mosque collapsed. However, the old minaret and her patio wonder remained beyond wonder. The rest of the mosque has completely disappeared and has been chosen to rebuild everything at the beginning of the 15th century, but not a mosque but a great cathedral.

And so, we arrive at phase 3 of the cathedral. The ecclesiastical authority also found it necessary to provide La Giralda with a new summit, which took place in the second half of the 16th century. In this period, Seville was one of the richest cities in the world. At the top of the tower is a 4-meter-high image. This great statue represents the faith, and she stands for symbol: Triumph of the victorious faith.

The current function of La Giralda?

La Giralda is still used. It is used as an active bell tower and tourist attraction. You can climb it and you have a beautiful view of the city. What is also a nice fact is that some of the bells of the tower are 'of Dutch origin'. They have been restored in the 90's in Asten, by company Eijsbouts. The company is also known for work with Notre Dame in Paris!

Do you want more information about this monument?

Come and do a bike tour with us and we can tell you much more about this beautiful tower in the middle of our city. Definitely a reason to come to our bikes once! ;)