El Alcázar

I went with a group from the Center to visit the Real Alcázar, the royal palace of Sevilla. It is an amazing work of architecture with a combination of styles from Moorish and Mudéjar to gothic, baroque, and renaissance. When the Muslims (or Moors as they were called then) were in control of the southern part of Spain, the Alcázar was the palace of the ruler. After the Moors were expelled from Spain, the Christian conquerors occupied the Alcázar, and now it is used by the royal family of Spain when they are in Sevilla. (A side note: Spain’s system of government is a constitutional monarchy, like England). Throughout all of the changes of power, the Alcázar was never abandoned, and each time it changed hands something new was added. For this reason, it is sometimes called in plural the Reáles Alcázares de Sevilla because of the several distinct parts. One of my favorite parts of the visit was the labyrinthine gardens full of fountains, an orange grove, and wandering peacocks… a great place to sit for hours reading a book.