Seville Cathedral
| Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See Catedral de Santa María de la Sede |
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View of the southeastern side of the Cathedral
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Seville, Andalusia, Spain |
| Geographic coordinates | 37°23′9″N 5°59′35″W / 37.38583°N 5.99306°WCoordinates: 37°23′9″N 5°59′35″W / 37.38583°N 5.99306°W |
| 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 |
| 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
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| 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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