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Real Alcázar

 F8 ⌂ Patio de Banderas q Puerta de Jerez v Archivo de Indias @ C5 # 9:30am–7pm daily (to 5pm Oct–Mar); for night visits with theatre, check website (book in advance) ¢ 1 & 6 Jan, Good Fri, 25 Dec ∑ alcazarsevilla.org

Home to Spanish kings for almost seven centuries, the Real Alcázar is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Set in a huge paradise garden, it is a celebration of Mudéjar architecture.

t The Patio de las Doncellas, with its central pool surrounded by ornate plasterwork

Experience Santa Cruz

t Illustration showing the Palacio Pedro I, only part of the vast Real Alcázar

In 1364 Pedro I ordered the construction of a royal residence within the palaces which had been built by the city’s Almohad rulers in the 12th century. Craftsmen from Granada and Toledo created a jewel box of Mudéjar patios and halls, the Palacio Pedro I, now at the heart of Seville’s Real Alcázar. Later monarchs added their own distinguishing marks: Isabel I dispatched navigators to the New World from her Casa de Contratación, while Carlos I had grandiose apartments built. More recently, in 2014, the Alcázar was used as a location for the hit TV series Game of Thrones.

Insider Tip

Open the Dorne

With its paradise garden and glinting azulejos, the Real Alcázar is a ready-made set for a fantasy epic. Step into the world of the Water Gardens of Dorne on a Game of Thrones tour of the palace with Sevilla Walking Tours (sevillawalkingtours.com).