Santa Maria de las Cuevas, Seville

Santa Maria de las Cuevas, Seville

The Santa María de las Cuevas Monastery, commonly known as the Cartuja Monastery, is a historic religious structure located on Seville's Isla de La Cartuja. This expansive, walled complex, built from honey-toned stone, has experienced a varied and eventful past.

Its history includes hosting monks who greeted Christopher Columbus, serving as Napoleon’s troop barracks, operating as a ceramic factory under an English manager known for exquisite porcelain, and currently functioning as a center for contemporary art and an outdoor music venue.

Dating back to the 16th century, the monastery features an impressive entrance, a lake-bordered property, a domed church with several chapels and Mudejar-style cloisters, multiple courtyards, a dining hall with a wooden beamed ceiling, a crypt, and a chapterhouse with burial sites.

According to legend, the area's Moorish settlers once dug caves here for clay extraction to craft pottery. In 1248, a statue of the Virgin Mary was discovered, leading to the establishment of the Virgen de la Cuevas shrine.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the monastery was repurposed as a military barracks by French forces, causing considerable damage. The monks returned in 1812, only to leave again in the 1830s due to the closure and seizure of numerous religious sites.

Today, the monastery houses the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo (CAAC), which showcases various exhibitions and events. It also hosted the Seville international art biennale (BIACS) three times (2004, 2006, and 2008) and annually welcomes the Interestelar music festival in May. For the 1992 Seville Expo, the monastery was refurbished and used as the Royal Pavilion, the expo's primary venue.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Seville. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Santa Maria de las Cuevas on Map

Sight Name: Santa Maria de las Cuevas
Sight Location: Seville, Spain (See walking tours in Seville)
Sight Type: Religious

Walking Tours in Seville, Spain

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