While touring the interior of Seville Cathedral, the largest gothic church in the world, be sure to visit the Cabildo. This elliptical room from the 16th century is a sumptuously decorated renaissance chamber with a geometric marble floor design. It is also known as a chapter house or chapter room and is where meetings are held to discuss spiritual and cathedral matters.
Take a few moments to browse the outstanding artwork in the Cabildo. View large vertical reliefs created around 1582 that depict key scenes from the Bible’s New Testament. Among them are The Assumption of the Virgin and The Expulsion of Merchants from the Temple. Look up into the ostentatious dome where there are portraits of several Sevillian saints such as San Leandro and San Isidoro.
Study paintings depicting the five virtues of Justice, Faith, Hope, Charity and Mercy. These are virtues that those who met here were expected to uphold. Among the other highlights of the room are a 16th-century mahogany chair and desk where the chapter secretary sat and the artwork Immaculate. This is a 17th-century painting of the Virgin Mary by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, a leading painter in Seville.
Leave the Cabildo to explore nearby sections of the expansive cathedral. They include the Great Sacristy, the Sacristy of the Chalices and the spectacular main altarpiece. The vast wood structure of the main altarpiece dates from the late 15th century and is almost 65 feet (66 meters) high and almost 75 feet (23 meters) wide. It contains 44 reliefs and more than 200 carvings of saints.
The Cabildo in Seville Cathedral is open every day except certain public holidays check the cathedral’s official website for further information. The ticket price for entry into Seville Cathedral includes access to the Cabildo and the Giralda bell tower, and discounts apply to pensioners and students up to the age of 25. Admission is free for everybody on Monday afternoons. Purchase tickets from the cathedral's official website and bring printed copies with you to avoid the long queues.
The Seville Cathedral is in the heart of the city’s historical center, close to bus and tram stops and a metro station.
