Seville, Giralda Print

Seville, Giralda La Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville in Spain, one of the largest churches in the world and an amazing example of Almohad architecture in Spain. The tower is an ancient Almohad minaret that, when it was built, was the tallest tower in the world with its 104.1 m high, with a base of 16.10 meters on each side, entirely covered in brick. It was one of the most important symbols of the medieval city. The tower, an ancient minaret of the Seville mosque, was built several times by different cultures. The main Islamic section is the oldest part. Begun in 1156 by order of the Caliph Abū Ya'qūb Yūsuf al-Manṣūr by architect Aḥmad ibn Baṣo, it was completed in 1184. The material used for its construction comes from several older buildings, including stones from the ruins of the Roman city of Italica. La Giralda has no stairs, but 34 ramps, which allowed the muezzin, on horseback, to climb to the top of the tower to intone the invitation to prayer, the adhān. Originally it was surmounted by a copper sphere, which precipitated in 1365 due to an earthquake. The Christians replaced the sphere with a cross and a bell. Later, in the sixteenth century, the architect Hernán Ruiz designed an extension, the section of the bells ("el cuerpo de campanas") to convert the minaret into a bell tower. At the top he placed a statue representing the faith. The statue measures 4 m in height (7 m with the pedestal) and was placed in situ in 1568. Originally, it was called Giralda because it turned when the wind changed. Over time the name passed to designate the tower as a whole, while the statue took the name of Giraldillo. The Renaissance section of the tower contains an extensive inscription of the Seville motto, NO8DO. The top of the tower constitutes the "section of the lilies" (el cuerpo de azucenas), which surrounds the main bell, formed by four terraces placed at the corners, each of which containing bronze lilies. The part that contains the bell has a square section and four arches, above which you can read, TVRRIS - FORTISSIMA - NOMEN DNI - PROVERBIS (Turris fortissima nomen Domini = Torre fortissima is the name of the Lord), taken from the Bible, Book of Proverbs , 6.10pm. The top part is formed by the "section of the stars" (el cuerpo de estrellas), the "section of the celestial parables" (el cuerpo de carambolas), and a small dome surmounted by a globe on which the Giraldillo stands. On December 29, 1928, it was declared a National Heritage; since 1987 the building is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, as an element of the Cathedral. La Giralda has several "sisters". There are similar towers in today's Morocco. The tower of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh served as a model for the Giralda and her sister, the Tower of Hassan in Rabat. Several bell towers in the province of Seville seem to remember the tower, and may have been inspired by the Giralda. These towers, the most noteworthy ones of Lebrija and Carmona, are commonly called Giraldillas. Many replicas of the Giralda were built in the United States: one, now destroyed, in Madison Square Garden in New York and another in Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, a city twinned with Seville. The clock tower of the Ferry Building in San Francisco, CA is also based on the Giralda. There is also a Giraldillas in Havana that has the appearance of Isabel de Bobadilla, the wife of Captain Hernando de Soto, governor of Cuba who left in search of the source of youth and did not return. The statue is in fact placed on the tower of the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and looks at the sea, as if peering in the hope of seeing her husband return one day. This Cuban legend is one of the most recurring symbols of love in Caribbean culture.