Ten best historical sites to visit in Spain

In Spain, many architectural buildings have been left by the nations who lived in the area that, to this day, are an example of class and beauty. Some famous destinations are Belchite, the Roman Walls of Lugo, and the strange and magnificent church Sagrada Familia, located in the metropolis.

Alhambra Palace

Alhambra, often known as the “Red Fortress,” is a unique complex of palaces, mosques, spas, shops, and other structures. It is inside Granada’s massive defensive wall that stretches across two kilometers. The Alhambra is accessible to the general public now. Palaces such as the Palacio Nazarenes and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Palace can now be visited. The Alcazaba, or “citadel,” is the most significant part of Alhambra’s defensive system.

The two central courtyards at the heart of the Alhambra are the Court of the Lions and the Court of the Myrtles. Each of them is home to a fountain and a long pool.

Roman Bridge of Cordoba

Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi wrote around 1140 that the Roman Bridge in Cordoba stands out from all others. It also played a significant role in the 1350s conflicts between the city of Cordoba and the ominously-named Peter the Cruel. The Roman Bridge of Cordoba, when it was built, was 657 km long. The bridge is around nine meters wide and 247 meters long, with 16 arches.

Alcazar of Toledo

Fortified with stone and situated at the highest point of Toledo, Spain, the Alcazar of Toledo is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. It is an immense quadrangular edifice with sides that are each 60 meters long. Framed by four enormous towers, each one 60 meters in height and topped with the traditional Madrid spire. After the Alcázar was besieged during the Spanish Civil War, most of the city was reconstructed between 1939 and 1957.

Cathedral of Seville & La Giralda Tower

Regarding cathedrals, Seville’s is the third largest in the world. It is a World Heritage monument and the last resting place of colonial explorer Christopher Columbus. After St. Paul’s in London and St. Peter’s in Rome, the Cathedral of Seville is the third largest church in the world. Covering an area of 11,520 square meters, it has impressive Gothic architecture. Many would argue that it has the most significant volume. It’s easy to see why people are so impressed with the cathedral’s interior. In 1987, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The central nave is the highest point of the cathedral’s architecture, which rises to a height of forty meters. In terms of sheer scale, Seville Cathedral is remarkable. The variety of styles, from Gothic to Baroque to Mudejar, makes it an impressive sight. Visitors also go to the grave of Christopher Columbus. In doing so, they will see the famous explorer’s last resting place.

Medina Azahara

Medina Azahara is the capital of the Caliphate of Cordoba. It was constructed in the middle of the tenth century CE by the Umayyad dynasty. It flourished for a while, but the civil conflict that ended the Caliphate in 1009–1010 destroyed it. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the city’s ruins were discovered after having lain in obscurity for over a millennium. It’s a wealth of information on Al-Andalus, a once-thriving Islamic culture in the West that has since disappeared.

Teatro Romano Merida

In 15 BC, when the Colony was established as the provincial capital of Lusitania, it was under the sponsorship of Agrippa. The theatre was built for the son-in-law of Augustus. Like the neighbouring Amphitheater, the theatre was partly constructed on the slope of a hill. This reduced the amount of stone needed to construct it. The remaining portions were constructed of concrete with ashlar masonry interiors. Even though Romans did not like the theatre, no respectable metropolis would be complete without a venue for plays.

La Sagrada Familia Church

Barcelona, Spain’s La Sagrada Familia cathedral, was designed by architect Antonio Gaud. It has been under construction since 1882 but has yet to be completed due to its organic, touchable design. Its striking flying buttresses and crooked spires contrast with the surrounding factories. The cathedral was commissioned in 1882.

It was built with contributions to help revive the city of Barcelona’s flagging Christian community. When Gaud took over as head architect in 1883, he abandoned the previous Neo-Gothic style. In its place, he used one inspired by natural geometric patterns.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba

When Muslims governed Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia, which included most of Spain, Portugal, and a tiny piece of Southern France) in the late 8th century, they constructed the Great Mosque of Córdoba, also known as Mezquita-Catedral. These structures are as intricate as the varied past they commemorate. Many scholars agree that a temple dedicated to the Roman deity Janus once stood here. When the Visigoths invaded and conquered Córdoba in 572, they turned the temple into a church. After that, the exiled Umayyads’ descendants returned and rebuilt the church as a mosque.

El Escorial

The Escorial is a massive complex of buildings at San Lorenzo de El Escorial, which lies in central Spain, not far from Madrid. This structure dominates the landscape as the crown jewel of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Beginning in 1563, El Escorial’s construction lasted until 1584. King Philip II had the idea for the project.

He intended the finished structure to be a palace, a Hieronymite monastery, and a place to bury his father, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Juan Bautista de Toledo. The building’s original designer based the layout on a gridiron pattern. This was done to honour the grill where San Lorenzo, the structure’s patron saint, was burned to death.

El Miguelete

The “El Miguelete” bell tower, built in the Gothic style during the 14th and 15th centuries, is a 15th-century completion. It has an octagonal base with a circumference equal to its height of almost fifty metres. The bell tower consists of four equal-sized sections, the final of which is the bell’s hall, which has eight large windows.

El Miguelete gets its moniker from its heaviest bell, which was cast in 1532 and weighed more than 10 tonnes. There is a 207-step spiral staircase. It winds its way to the top, where visitors can see breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding area, including the ocean.

Conclusion

Spanish architecture has altered our modern idea of beauty and class. It has influenced many different areas, starting from architecture, to video games like Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Street Fighter, and can even be seen in popular slot games such as gonzos quest slot. Hopefully this list has piqued your interest in Spanish culture and you may even be considering visiting some of these sites yourself!