Mudéjar is a beautiful architectural style, unique to Spain, that fuses together Islamic and Christian styles. It can be found across Spain – but one of the best cities to see it is in Seville.
In this piece, I explore Seville’s Mudéjar heritage, and outline the best places to see the style in the city.
The history of Mudéjar in Spain
For centuries (711-1492), Spain was known as Al-Andalus, Muslim territory ruled by the Moors. When it was conquered by Christian forces in the 15th century during the Reconquista, not all of the Muslim population left.
Those that stayed were given the name ‘Mudéjars’, and many were employed by the new Catholic elite, who were fans of the Islamic styles, as artisans and architects. These craftsmen created one of Spain’s most unique cultural legacies: Mudéjar art, a gorgeous blend of Islamic architectural elements and styles incorporated into Christian structures.
The golden age of this art form spanned from the 13th to the 16th centuries. In Seville, we can see early Mudéjar masterpieces in the Alcázar, the Casa de Pilatos, and the Giralda Tower.
As culture and politics shifted in Spain, the style declined, replaced by a wave of Renaissance and Baroque. But in the late 19th and early 20th century, Mudéjar came back into fashion. This new style of Mudéjar was called, imaginatively, Neo-Mudéjar.
In Seville, many Neo-Mudéjar buildings were constructed for the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929. Today, these include some of the city’s most iconic buildings: the Mudéjar Pavilion, Hotel Alfonso XIII, and, of course, Plaza de España.
Mudéjar is all about fusion. And in Seville, that fusion is on full, perfect display – Gothic and renaissance Christian styles blending with Islamic-inspired design, the old standing alongside the new.
For the rest of this blog, I’ll explore the best examples of Mudéjar architecture in Seville. I start with original Mudéjar structures, those dating from the centuries after the Reconquista. In the second half of the blog I outline the newer, but no less beautiful, neo-Mudéjar masterpieces in Seville.
Where to see Mudéjar in Seville
Alcazar of Seville
One of Seville’s most famous buildings, work began on the Royal Alcázar of Seville under the Moorish Almohads in the 10th century. It was transformed over the centuries by Spanish monarchs, resulting in a sprawling complex of mixed architectural styles. Above all, though, the Alcázar is a Mudéjar masterpiece.
Especially important were the sections built by Pedro I, during the 1360s. A monarch who was fascinated by Islamic culture and art, he employed Moorish craftsmen to expand his palace. The crown jewel is the Hall of the Ambassadors, with its golden dome and intricate detailing, opening onto the Patio of the Maidens, an elegant courtyard with intricate archways and a long reflective pool – one of the finest examples in Seville of Islamic-style patio. There’s even an Arabic inscription which refers to Pedro I as ‘sultan’.
Pedro’s father, Alfonso XI, also commissioned Mudéjar elements, including the Sala de Justicia. Though simpler than the Ambassador’s Hall, it marks the beginning of Mudéjar as a defined style. Visit website.
Giralda Tower
Seville’s other great icon, the Giralda Tower, started life as a 12th-century minaret for the city’s mosque. After the Reconquista, it was converted into a bell tower for Seville Cathedral.
The tower retains much of its Moorish form, with Christian elements added later, including the statue at the top. For centuries it has been an emblem of the city, and possibly the most iconic example of the blend of Christian and Islamic styles that make Seville such a beautiful city. Visit website.
Casa de Pilatos
The first two examples on this list are famous the world over. They get a lot – a lot – of tourists, which can take away from the serene beauty of their Mudéjar styles. Casa de Pilatos, by contrast, is a bit of a hidden gem, and one of the most beautiful Mudéjar buildings in Seville.
Considered the archetypal Andalucían palace in all of Spain, work started on Casa de Pilatos in the 15th century, though it has been added to and modified over the centuries. It belongs to the noble House of Medinaceli.
Mudéjar is found across the whole palace, especially in the older buildings on the ground floor. Perhaps the clearest blend of Islamic and Christian styles can be found in the chapel.
Another real highlight is the Main Courtyard. Work began on it in the earliest days of the palace, but it was modified and added to for another 300 years. This gives us a harmonious, beautiful blend of so many styles – not just Mudéjar, but Renaissance, Romanesque, Gothic.
One of the most distinguishing things about the palace is its tiles. Across the walls are more than 150 designs in Mudéjar and renaissance styles, made in the 16th century by Diego and Juan or Pulido, just a couple of miles away in the neighbourhood of Triana.
Overall, if you want to see Seville’s magnificent Mudéjar heritage, and one of its most important and beautiful pieces of architecture, this is a must visit. Visit website.
Mudéjar churches of Seville
Following the Christian conquest of Seville in 1248, many churches were built using techniques and structures from Moorish architecture. Bell towers often reused former minarets, while decorative details reflected Islamic influence.
Examples include San Marcos, Santa Marina, and Santa Catalina, all featuring minarets-turned-bell towers. San Esteban has especially notable Mudéjar-style stone doorways.
Palacio de las Duenas
Owned by the noble House of Alba, this 15th-century palace features Islamic design throughout.
Mudéjar arches, coffered wooden ceilings, and tiled patios reminiscent of Islamic design. The gardens, with their geometric tiles and exotic plants, complete the tranquil atmosphere. The courtyard is surrounded by embellished semicircular horseshoe arches.
Many of its grand halls are crowned by coffered wooden ceilings, a hallmark of Mudéjar craftsmanship. Best of all are the gardens, filled with geometric Mudéjar ceramic tiles, central patios with trickling fountains, and exotic plants. Visit website.
Palacio de los Marqueses de la Algaba
A simpler example, home to a small museum dedicated to Mudéjar art. It’s a Mudéjar-style palace, with a central courtyard inspired by Islamic design. For those especially interested in Mudéjar it’s worth visiting for the modest museum showcasing Mudéjar art and aiming to shine a light on the style. Visit website.
Neo-Mudéjar in Seville
By the 20th century, Spain’s Empire was floundering, and Seville – once home to so much of the wealth that flowed over the sea from the New World – was seen as backward and stagnating. The 1929 Ibero-America Exposition was an attempt to breathe new life into the city. To bring in tourists and investment.
In this, sadly, it failed. It couldn’t have been worse timed – coinciding with the financial crash in America. Hardly anyone came. And a few years later, in 1936, the Spanish Civil War would break out.
Eventually, though, the exposition got what it wanted – tourists now flood the city to see the Exposition’s centrepiece, the Plaza de Espana. It also permanently changed Seville’s urban landscape, with new grand buildings, wider streets, and redeveloped parks and open spaces.
Many styles were present and showcased – but chief among all was Neo-Mudéjar, a revival of Mudéjar styles that started in Madrid and Barcelona in the late 19th century and spread across Spain. Many of the best examples of neo-Mudéjar are in Seville, most dating from the time of the 1929 Exposition. Much was designed by Anibal Gonzalez, the chief architect of the Exposition, whose signature style mixed art-deco and Mudéjar.
Plaza de Espana
One of Seville’s most popular attractions, Plaza de España is the city’s (and perhaps all of Spain’s) love letter to Mudéjar. Grand in scale and scope, utterly massive and majestic, it was the centrepiece of the 1929 Exposition. It’s rife with symbolism – four bridges cross a moat, representing the ancient Kingdoms of Spain. Around the square are 48 benches, each decorated in stunning tilework, one for each of Spain’s provinces.
The buildings of the Plaza de Espana form a semi circle around the square, with towers at each end. They held exhibitions on Spain’s industry and technology during the 1929 Exposition, but now they’re home to government offices. You can walk in the covered galleries, which feature coffered wooden Mudéjar style ceilings.
Adjoined to the Plaza is Maria Luisa Park, Seville’s main green space, which was re-designed for the 1929 Exposition. Mudéjar gems can be found throughout, and the garden as a whole was described as being in a ‘Moorish paradisical style’.
Hotel Alfonso XIII
Designed as a luxurious palace for the wealthiest visitors to stay during the 1929 Exposition. Even today, it’s sometimes used by the royal family when they want somewhere a bit more private and small-scale than the nearby Real Alcazar. An elegant building, with subtle yet striking Mudéjar elements and azulejos.
Inside is equally magnificent, with horseshoe arches and azulejos galore. You can visit the Art Deco style cafe to get a glimpse. Visit website.
The Mudéjar Pavilion
Another gem from Anibel Gonzalez is the Mudéjar Pavillion, built for the exposition in 1929. It’s found in the Plaza de America – a sort of Plaza de Espana in miniature, complete with a number of glazed tile fountains and benches.
The building itself is magnificent, with Islamic style horshe-shoe arches, exposed brickwork, and detailed ceramic tiles, harking back to the city’s Islamic past. It now hosts the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs – which, as well as being an excellent museum, provides the opportunity to see the building’s interior. Especially worth seeing is the replica of the Giralda Tower.
Estación de Sevilla-Plaza de Armas
Now home to a bougie shopping centre, this beautiful building was once a railway station that linked the city to Madrid. Out of all the Neo-Mudéjar buildings I’ve discussed in this blog, this is the oldest, being built in 1899, when Neo-Mudéjar as a style was just starting to take root. It’s a handsome building, with large glass and iron stained glass windows,
La Adriatica
One of Seville’s main arteries is Avenida de la Constitución. A wide boulevard developed during the early 20th century, as part of the major redevelopment work in the lead up to the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.
As a result it contains many impressive buildings, designed to advertise the city to the outside world. This included showing off its Mudéjar heritage, which you can see in several of the buildings. Most beautiful is perhaps El Edificio de la Adriatica, completed in 1922 in clear Mudéjar style with many Moorish influences, now an ice cream shop.
Mudéjar Map of Seville
Mudéjar is not only aesthetically captivating, it’s a testament to Spain’s layered history. It emerged in the wake of the Reconquest, an era specific to the Iberian Peninsula, when the Catholic Monarchs were stamping their authority but Islamic culture still loomed large.
By blending together styles from distinct cultures, it harks back to something else, too – an era in Spain when these cultures coexisted. Though this period shouldn’t be overly romanticised, it’s an important message.
If you’re fascinated by Mudéjar and traveling further in Spain, I highly recommend visiting Aragón, especially the cities of Teruel and Zaragoza, for some of the country’s most breathtaking examples.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Seville.
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