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Cathedral of Sevilla

Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See
Catedral de Santa María de la Sede
Sevilla Cathedral - Southeast.jpg
View of the southeastern side of the Cathedral
Basic information
Location Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Geographic coordinates 37°23′9″N 5°59′35″W / 37.38583°N 5.99306°W / 37.38583; -5.99306Coordinates: 37°23′9″N 5°59′35″W / 37.38583°N 5.99306°W / 37.38583; -5.99306
Affiliation Catholic
Rite Roman Rite
Year consecrated 1507
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Metropolitan cathedral
Heritage designation 1928, 1987
Leadership Archbishop Juan Asenjo Pelegrina
Website www.catedraldesevilla.es
Architectural description
Architect(s) Alonso Martínez, Pedro Dancart, Carles Galtés de Ruan, Alonso Rodríguez
Architectural type church
Architectural style Gothic
Groundbreaking 1401
Completed 1528
Specifications
Length 135 metres (443 ft)
Width 100 metres (330 ft)
Width (nave) 15 metres (49 ft)
Height (max) 42 metres (138 ft)
Spire(s) 1
Spire height 105 metres (344 ft)
Official name: Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iii, vi
Designated 1987 (11th session)
Reference no. 383
State Party  Spain
Region Europe and North America
Official name: Catedral de Santa María de la Sede de Sevilla
Type Real property
Criteria Monument
Designated 29 December 1928
Reference no. (R.I.) - 51 - 0000329 - 00000

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (Spanish: Catedral de Santa María de la Sede), better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville (Andalusia, Spain). It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world. It is also the largest cathedral in the world, as the two larger churches, the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida and St. Peter's Basilica, are not the seats of bishops. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the Alcázar palace complex and the General Archive of the Indies. "See" refers to the episcopal see, i.e., the bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

After its completion in the early 16th century, the Seville Cathedral supplanted Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral in the world, a title the Byzantine church had held for nearly a thousand years. The cathedral is also the burial site of Christopher Columbus. The Archbishop's Palace is located on the northeastern side of the cathedral.

Seville Cathedral was built to demonstrate the city's wealth, as it had become a major trading center in the years after the Reconquista in 1248. In July 1401 it was decided to build a new cathedral. According to local oral tradition, the members of the cathedral chapter said: "Hagamos una Iglesia tan hermosa y tan grandiosa que los que la vieren labrada nos tengan por locos" ("Let us build a church so beautiful and so grand that those who see it finished will think we are mad"). Construction began in 1402 and continued until 1506. The clergy of the parish gave half their stipends to pay for architects, artists, stained glass artisans, masons, carvers, craftsman and labourers and other expenses.


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