How to visit and what to see in the Archivo de Indias in Seville
One of the most important places in Seville and worth knowing is the Archivo General de Indias, declared a World Heritage Site along with the Cathedral of Seville and the Reales Alcázares, great masterpieces of the Andalusian capital.
Although the archive was created in 1785, the spectacular building that houses it dates back to 1572 and was initially dedicated to being the Lonja de Mercaderes.
It is the least known of the 3 World Heritage buildings to see in Seville, but its visit is also highly recommended.
A bit of history of the Archivo de Indias in Seville
The building was designed by Juan de Herrera and originally only had one floor, but the second was added later in the 16th century.
It was built to prevent the fishermen’s sales from being carried out inside the Cathedral and thus avoid what was considered a lack of respect and it began to be used in 1598.
The works continued until 1629 with the construction of the second floor and the Cruz del Juramento.
Its conversion to the General Archive of the Indies took place in 1785 at the initiative of King Carlos III who wanted to gather all the documents related to the Indies in the same building, for which he moved them from Madrid, Valladolid and Cádiz.
Visit the Archivo de Indias in Seville
The Archivo de Indias building is a true masterpiece.
It consists of 2 floors and is rectangular in shape with a very interesting brick and stone façade.
In its center we can find a large square patio where stone predominates and the arches on the pilasters.
Inside you should not miss the main staircase dating from the eighteenth century and therefore was added years after its construction.
No less than 43,000 documents totaling 80 million pages and where we can find more than 8,000 maps are kept in the Archivo de Indias. In them we can find more than 3 centuries of history of an entire continent.
To get an idea of the size it occupies, the shelves are 9 kilometers long.
If you want to find more information and consult the archive, you can do so on the official website of the Archive of the Indies in Seville.
