Architectural Geology of Seville, Part 1: The Patio de los Naranjos and the Seville Cathedral
(Updated on February 18, 2025)
Taken from the fabled belltower and former minaret, La Giralda. Facing west-northwestward.
The famous patio and its Seville Orange trees (Citrus x aurantium) is, with La Giralda, the remaining portion of the earlier Almohad-era Mosque complex. It was built of both brick and recycled stone.
Later, after the mosque had been converted into a church and was subsequently torn down, the current Cathedral was built. Completed by 1507, it was constructed with stone from many quarries.
The northern-transept spire partially visible at left may well be made of the building's predominant rock type, a yellowish, Pliocene-epoch limestone that weathers to gray and is also liable to conversion to gypsum and the development black crusting. Rock of this description was taken from Puerto de Santa Maria and other towns to the south and east of Seville.
So far, my two main sources for stone use in the Cathedral are
- Saiz-Jimenez, C., P. Brimblecombe, D. Carmuffo, R. Lefèvre, and R. Van Grieken. “Damages Caused to European Monuments by Air Pollution: Assessment and Preventive Measures.” In Air Pollution and Cultural Heritage. London: Taylor and Francis Group, 2004.
- Bello, M. A. and A. Martín. “Microchemical Characterization of Building Stone from Seville Cathedral, Spain.” Archaeometry 34:1, 21-29 (February 1992).
The first of these describes the limestone above as a biocalcarenite, an unusual type of carbonate rock made of fossil remains cemented with calcite. Another notable biocalcarenite is the most commonly used building stone in the US—the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) Salem Limestone, from southern Indiana.
While nether of these references contains reliable age citations for this rock type, I've inferred it's Pliocene from the EGDI online geologic map of Europe.
As to that handsome and soul-restoring planting of citrus trees, its members are also know by the rather tart common names of Bitter Orange and Sour Orange.
While I'm told peak flowering time for Seville's orange trees is usually in February and March, some of these trees here appear to be in bloom in this photo, in early April.
Regardless of whether their fruit is bitter or sweet, Orange trees produce blossoms that are an olfactory delight of the first order. Anyone who has caught their scent has already experienced paradise.
Oh that I were an Orenge-tree,
That busie plant!
Then should I ever laden be,
And never want
Some fruit for him that dressed me.
– GEORGE HERBERT, from "Employment”
The other photos and descriptions of this series can be found in my Architectural Geology of Seville album.
Architectural Geology of Seville, Part 1: The Patio de los Naranjos and the Seville Cathedral
(Updated on February 18, 2025)
Taken from the fabled belltower and former minaret, La Giralda. Facing west-northwestward.
The famous patio and its Seville Orange trees (Citrus x aurantium) is, with La Giralda, the remaining portion of the earlier Almohad-era Mosque complex. It was built of both brick and recycled stone.
Later, after the mosque had been converted into a church and was subsequently torn down, the current Cathedral was built. Completed by 1507, it was constructed with stone from many quarries.
The northern-transept spire partially visible at left may well be made of the building's predominant rock type, a yellowish, Pliocene-epoch limestone that weathers to gray and is also liable to conversion to gypsum and the development black crusting. Rock of this description was taken from Puerto de Santa Maria and other towns to the south and east of Seville.
So far, my two main sources for stone use in the Cathedral are
- Saiz-Jimenez, C., P. Brimblecombe, D. Carmuffo, R. Lefèvre, and R. Van Grieken. “Damages Caused to European Monuments by Air Pollution: Assessment and Preventive Measures.” In Air Pollution and Cultural Heritage. London: Taylor and Francis Group, 2004.
- Bello, M. A. and A. Martín. “Microchemical Characterization of Building Stone from Seville Cathedral, Spain.” Archaeometry 34:1, 21-29 (February 1992).
The first of these describes the limestone above as a biocalcarenite, an unusual type of carbonate rock made of fossil remains cemented with calcite. Another notable biocalcarenite is the most commonly used building stone in the US—the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) Salem Limestone, from southern Indiana.
While nether of these references contains reliable age citations for this rock type, I've inferred it's Pliocene from the EGDI online geologic map of Europe.
As to that handsome and soul-restoring planting of citrus trees, its members are also know by the rather tart common names of Bitter Orange and Sour Orange.
While I'm told peak flowering time for Seville's orange trees is usually in February and March, some of these trees here appear to be in bloom in this photo, in early April.
Regardless of whether their fruit is bitter or sweet, Orange trees produce blossoms that are an olfactory delight of the first order. Anyone who has caught their scent has already experienced paradise.
Oh that I were an Orenge-tree,
That busie plant!
Then should I ever laden be,
And never want
Some fruit for him that dressed me.
– GEORGE HERBERT, from "Employment”
The other photos and descriptions of this series can be found in my Architectural Geology of Seville album.