The Cathedral of Seville was built from 1401-1519 after the Reconquista on the former site of the city's mosque. It is amongst the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals, in terms of both area and volume. The interior is the longest nave in Spain, and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. It is topped with a statue, known locally as El Giraldillo, representing Faith. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the Muezzin and others to ride on horseback to the top.
The Alcázar facing the cathedral has developed from the city's old Moorish Palace; construction was begun in 1181 and continued for over 500 years, mainly in Mudéjar style, but also in Renaissance. Its gardens are a blend of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions.
The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty as watchtower and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port.
The Town Hall, built in the 16th century in high Plateresque style by master architect Diego de Riaño. The Facade to Plaza Nueva was built in the 19th century in Neoclassical style.
The University of Seville is housed in the original site of the first tobacco factory in Europe, La Antigua Fábrica de Tobaccos, a vast 18th century building in Baroque style and the purported inspiration for the opera Carmen.
The Plaza de España, in Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa), was built by the architect Aníbal González for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana. It is an outstanding example of Regionalist Revival Architecture, a bizarre and lofty mixture of diverse historic styles, such as Art Deco and Neo-Mudéjar and lavishly ornamented with typical glazed tiles.
In 1929 Seville hosted the Spanish-American Exhibition and numerous buildings were constructed for the exhibition in the celebrated Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa) design by Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier. The Plaza de España is an example of moorish styles, which helped create the U.S. Moorish Revival style era, was designed by Aníbal González. It was built on the Park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits.