Discover 4 real events that took place in the Alcázar of Seville
4 real events that took place in the Alcázar of Seville
The Real Alcázar in Seville, also known as Reales Alcázares or Alcázar of Seville, is the oldest active royal palace in Europe. Since its origin linked the dynasty of the Umayyads, the Arab kings of Al-Andalus who ruled Seville in the High Middle Ages, has it been a royal residence. It is for this reason that the most illustrious and famous people of its time have passed through its rooms, gardens and corridors. And, therefore, the most unusual events have happened. Its corners are full of secrets carved throughout its history and its walls have witnessed the most interesting and important events of its time.
In this article we have prepared a selection of 4 real events that took place in the Alcazar of Seville that you will surely find very interesting, and incite you to see it with us.
Alfonso X wrote his Cantigas in the Alcazar of Seville.
Pedro I El Cruel assassinated his brother in the Palace of Seville
The son of the Catholic Kings was born in the Alcazar of Seville
Infanta Elena's wedding took place in the Alcazar of Seville
Alfonso X wrote his songs there
Alfonso X of Castile, known as "the Wise" and king of Castile and Leon, resided in the Real Alcázar during his stay in Seville. The monarch collaborated, between 1246 and 1247, in the conquest of Seville, in the hands of the Arab kings.
But more than for his warlike azañas, Alfonso X is recognized for his scientific and literary legacy. His work includes historical, literary, scientific and legal texts of great caliber. In addition, he supervised and participated in the so-called Toledo School of Translators, to which the translation of important Greco-Latin texts is attributed.
His literary work includes the Cantigas de Santa María, which is said to have been written between the walls of the Alcázar of Seville, in the Gothic Palace. Although there is some debate about his authorship, it is true that they wrote under his mandate. And surely in this palace, because there Alfonso X housed the best intellectuals of the time, and you have to do with us.
The Cántigas de Santa María is a collection of 420 musical compositions written in medieval Galician dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Thus, they constitute one of the most important collections of monophonic songs of western medieval literature.
Pedro I The Cruel murdered his brother
Pedro I of Castile, king of Castile, was later called "the Cruel" by his detractors, but also "the Just" by his supporters. However, in history he has been remembered as Pedro El Cruel.
Chroniclers of the time tell that Pedro I of Castile was angry and distrustful, and that he often suffered from paranoia because of a childhood illness.
The story goes that in the Sala de los Azulejos del Alcázar in Seville, Pedro I murdered his stepbrother Fadrique when he was looking for royal forgiveness. In addition, it is said that, after murdering him, the king began to eat in front of his own corpse.
Since the floor of the room, made of marble, was still rough and unpolished, it completely absorbed the enormous stain of blood. Be a stain witness of history and come with us on our guided tours to the Alcazar of Seville.
The end of Peter I was just as tragic and ironic. Perhaps because of karma or bad luck, his death came to him at the hands of another of his half-brothers, Enrique de Trastamara, during the Battle of Montiel.
Juan de Aragón was born, son of the Catholic Monarchs
In 1477, during the War of Castilian Succession, the Catholic Monarchs Isabel and Fernando arrived in Seville for the first time. Five times in total they would visit the city of Seville, and during this period they would improve the facilities of the Royal Alcazar of Seville, building the Admiral's Room, the hall of the Catholic Monarchs, the High Palace, the oratory and the Prince's room.
This last room, the Prince's room, was the birthplace of his heir, Infanta Juan de Aragón, just one year after the arrival of the Kings in Seville. Regarding the royal birth, it is known that he was assisted by a midwife from Seville, known as "La Herradera".
He also had the presence of witnesses appointed to him by King Fernando: Garci Téllez, Alonso Melgarejo, Fernando de Abrejo and Juan de Pineda. This was dictated by the Castilian laws so that there were doubts that the heir was the queen's son.
Although heir to the Catholic Monarchs, Juan de Aragon never reigned. He died six months after his wedding to Margarita of Austria, when he was only 19 years old. If you want to relive her story, you have to see it with us.
The nuptial banquet of the wedding of the Infanta Elena
And from the Catholic Monarchs we move to the present time to narrate the last real event that took place in the rooms of the Alcázar of Seville. It is the wedding banquet of the Infanta Elena de Borbón, firstborn of the hemeritus king Juan Carlos I.
The wedding of Elena de Borbón with Jaime de Marichalar was celebrated on March 18, 1995 in the Cathedral of Santa María de la Sede of Seville, and was one of the bigger events of the year. Once the wedding was over, the bride and groom moved to the Alcazar of Seville, where the wedding banquet took place.
This began in the halls of the Mudejar Palace, around the Patio de las Doncellas. One of the most beautiful rooms in the Alcazar of Seville, which you can see in our guided tours.
The bridal table, in the shape of an U, was placed on a garnet rug and in front of one of the many tapestries from the Royal Collection. For their part, the guests were placed in 170 round tables of ten people each.
As anecdotes, it is worth mentioning that in order to carry out the banquet it was necessary to install fourteen temporary kitchens in the Alcázar of Seville, as well as to mobilize around 300 people, in addition to several lorry-oven.