244 Apuntes del Alcázar de Sevilla
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Alcázar” as one of the BIC sectors of the Historic Complex, incor-
porating some specific protection cards to the said sector.
The General Plan defines the building typologies that make up
the built Heritage to be protected for their historical, artistic or
architectural value, such as: Religious Architecture, Defensive
Architecture, Industrial Architecture, Potters Sets, Exceptional
Buildings and Residential Architecture, and within the latter,
Manor Houses, Patio Houses, Corrals of Neighbours and Tene-
ments, with the same definition of the 87 PGOU.
SITES OF CULTURAL INTEREST (BIC)
In Sector 6 “Real Alcázar”, the following properties are protected by
the law of historic heritage:
• Reales Alcázares: The Alcázar with its outbuildings and gardens.
Declared as Historical Site. Decree of June 3rd 1931, published in
the Gaceta de Madrid N 155 of June 4th 1931.
• Jardines de Murillo and Paseo de Catalina de Ribera: Declared
as Site of Cultural Interest with the category of Historic Garden.
Decree 103/2002 of March 12th. BOJA (Official Gazette of the
Council of Andalusia) No. 47 of April 23rd 2002 and BOE (Of-
ficial State Gazette) No. 117 of May 16th 2002.
• We must also mention the Islamic Wall that can be considered
BIC under the Second Additional Provision of Law 16/85 on
Spanish Historical Heritage, of June 25th 1985, through which
those included in the Decree of April 22nd 1949 on the Protec-
tion of Spanish Castles, BOE of May 5th 1949 should be consid-
ered BIC, understood as any kind of architectural construction
of a defensive nature, as considered by some authors. The said
decree, in its first article, says: “
All the castles of Spain, whatever
their state of ruin, are under the state protection… ”,
this declara-
tion should be considered generically. BOE 06/29/1985.
WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATEMENT.
In December 1987, UNESCO declared World Heritage Site to the
perimeter of the Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias
Denomination: Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias of Seville.
Date of statement: December 11th 1987.
The Cathedral and the Giralda, the Alcázar and the Archivo de In-
dias in Seville form a monumental set of great coherence as they
are highly representative of the great milestones in the history of
the city.
The Cathedral of Seville is the largest Gothic temple in Europe,
with an area of 23,457 m2. It has a number of characteristics
that differentiate it from other Gothic cathedrals, as a result
from the superposition of Christian work, mainly in Gothic
and Renaissance styles, to the Islamic vestiges of the Almohad
era. Such superposition is evident, first, in its floor, which al-
most corresponds to that of the ancient Great Mosque of the
XII century. Second, its bell tower, the Giralda, which leverages
the pre-existing minaret, which, in the sixteenth century was
added a bell module designed by Hernán Ruiz in Renaissance
style. The Patio de los Naranjos preserves in two of its sides the
Almohad enclosure ,standing halfway between the Islamic Sahn
and the Christian cloister. The contributions subject concludes
with the additions of Renaissance, Baroque and subsequent pe-
riods until the twentieth century. Contributions are given not
only in architectural terms but also with regard to other forms
of artistic expression, so that the Cathedral constitutes a real
museum with works of the first magnitude.
The Real Alcazar is set up by different palatial buildings that,
like the cathedral, represent a superposition of styles from vari-
ous periods. This set is bounded by a wall dating from the Al-
mohad period. Inside we find, on one hand, a series of buildings
of residential nature, which are built around the Patio de las
Doncellas and the Patio de las Muñecas. On the other hand,
the enclosure is completed with some gardens which, starting
from a primitive garden of Almohad transept, developed in the
Renaissance around Estanque de Mercurio and the Galería del
Grotesco. Another important element to point out in this group
of gardens is the Cenador de la Alcoba or Pabellón de Carlos
V, recreation building that combines elements of both Mudejar
and Renaissance styles.
The whole of the Reales Alcázares represents, in the first place,
the Almohad art with Moroccan origin, sober, powerful and
geometrical, but also proves the cultural coexistence between
East and West, as the Mudejar art perfectly reflects, singular
phenomenon only existing in Spain.
The third monument included in the declaration of World Heritage
is the Archivo de Indias. It dates back to the founding of the Casa
de Contratación or Casa Lonja by Felipe II to control the trade in
the Indies. The building intended to house this institution is built
in the late sixteenth century and it reflects the severe style of Juan
de Herrera. Once it ceased to fulfil the role as Casa Lonja, Carlos
III established the Archivo General de Indias in 1790 in the same
premises, in order to gather all the documentation of the Casa de
Contratación and the Consejo de Indias. Since then, the former Casa
Lonja of Seville hosted all series of historical and diplomatic nature
concerning Spanish colonies in America and Asia.
SPECIAL PROTECTION PLAN FOR SECTOR 6 “ROYAL
ALCÁZAR”OF THE HISTORICAL SITE IN SEVILLE
1. Objectives and criteria for planning.
The basic aim of the Special Plan is to provide the sector with a pre-
cise planning system of precise addressed to its protection and en-
hancement of all elements of interest. This characteristic of protec-
tion of the Special Plan is complemented by interventions of urban
improvement, which are formulated in accordance with the require-
ments that the current Land Law and the Regulation of Planning, in
the context of Laws national heritage Law 16/98 on Spanish Histori-
cal Heritage, and regional level, Law 14/2007 of Historical Heritage
of Andalusia.
The fundamental objectives of the Special Protection Plan are:
• Historical research to enrich the knowledge of the sector in rela-
tion to the rest of the city.
