Torre Giralda
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About
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Why go
- Thirty-five ramps wind around seven vaulted chambers.
- The tower contains 27 bells and a large wooden rattle.
- Spain’s first public striking clock was installed here around 1400.
Opening hours
Today11:00 – 17:00Show all
What you see
- The former minaret now serves as a visitor lookout as well as Seville Cathedral’s bell tower.
Know before you go
- Monday 11:00–15:30; Tuesday–Saturday 11:00–17:00; Sunday 14:30–18:00.
Photo spots
- Giraldillo copyA copy of the tower’s crowning statue stands before the cathedral’s Puerta del Príncipe.Before Puerta del Príncipe
Interesting facts6
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The ramps were wide enough for people and pack animals to use.
Giralda - Wikipedia -
Windows and facade patterns were arranged to bring light into the interior ramps.
Giralda - Wikipedia -
1588
Santa Maria, cast in 1588, and San Miguel, cast in 1792, are the two largest stationary bells.
Giralda - Wikipedia -
Builders sealed a spring beneath the foundations with stones and lime.
Giralda - Wikipedia -
Stone from the wall of the Alcázar palace of Ibn Abbad was reused in the tower’s construction.
Giralda - Wikipedia -
13.61 metres
The tower has a square plan measuring 13.61 metres on each side.
Giralda - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
The tower was painted red during both the Almohad and Renaissance periods; traces remained visible in the 19th century. Images often placed it between Seville’s patron saints Justa and Rufina, who were said to have protected it during earthquakes.
- 1171Caliph Abu Ya'qub Yusuf commissioned a larger mosque at the site of the present cathedral.
- 1184–1188Construction began on the mosque’s minaret in 1184 and resumed in 1188 after a stoppage.
- 10 March 1198The minaret was completed with four precious-metal spheres at its summit.
- 1248After the Christian conquest of Seville, the mosque became a cathedral and its minaret became the bell tower.
- 1356An earthquake damaged the mosque and brought down the minaret’s four metal spheres.
Show all
- 1558–1568Hernán Ruiz the Younger added the Renaissance belfry to house the bells.
- 1568The bronze Giraldillo was installed atop the belfry.
- 1987The cathedral complex, including the Giralda, received UNESCO World Heritage status alongside the Alcázar and General Archive of the Indies.
Sources: Giralda - Wikipedia · Giralda - Wikipedia (part 2) · Giralda - Wikipedia · Giralda - Wikipedia · Giralda - Wikipedia · checked 29 Sep 2026
Questions and answers
Where does the name Giralda come from?
The name first referred to the rotating bronze statue atop the belfry, then spread to the whole tower. The Giraldillo represents Faith and turns as a weather vane.
When is Torre Giralda open?
Monday 11:00–15:30; Tuesday–Saturday 11:00–17:00; Sunday 14:30–18:00.
What can visitors see inside Torre Giralda?
The tower has 35 ramps around seven vaulted chambers, and replicas of the original courtyard door knockers are displayed inside.
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