One of the best known Baroque buildings in Seville is the San Telmo Palace, which used to be an old naval school. Today it is a symbol of this Mediterranean city, as well as being the seat of government of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. Do you want to know more about this iconic palace? Let’s go there!
Seville, like much of southern Spain, has always been an important point for maritime trade. Therefore, in the city there have been various schools and universities dedicated to the teaching of sailors.
One of those academic centers was the University of Mareantes, a place dedicated to educating orphaned children, with the aim of turning them into highly capable sailors and sending them to the different colonies that Spain had in the Americas.
The only problem was that the University of Mareantes did not have a large enough headquarters, so in 1682 the construction of a new palace began, which would adapt to the needs of this school of sailors.
The place, which would be known as San Telmo Palace, remained in operation for more than a century. However, when the University of Mareantes stopped providing its services, the building was adrift for several years.
The fate of the Palace of San Telmo changed when it was acquired by a family of nobles, who finally gave the place to the archbishopric and, later, to the city of Seville.
This palace was built following a baroque architectural style, as it was thought to be a university, it has large rooms and different spaces for meetings.In the same way, one of the most outstanding features of the San Telmo Palace are its gardens.
The same family of nobles that gave the palace to the archdiocese, was also in charge of keeping its gardens in the best possible condition.
Despite this, little of the original structure of the building is preserved. This is because the Palacio de San Telmo underwent numerous renovations throughout its history, and some of them were done carelessly or with poor quality materials, which damaged the integrity of the building.
Fortunately, the façade, the chapel and many of its rooms are still impressive, making this palace one of the most easily identifiable buildings in all of Seville.
Currently, the San Telmo Palace is the main seat of the government of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. Which means that it is a public building, but that it is not continuously open for tourists.
This does not mean that visits to the San Telmo Palace are impossible, on the contrary, since the administration of the place welcomes anyone who wants to know this fantastic building more closely.
To be able to visit, you must schedule an appointment, in which you must specify the number of people who will go on the tour. The staff in charge will respond to the request, and the day for the visit will be set.
The guided tour of the San Telmo Palace is free, takes about an hour, and will take you to know the unmissable places of this unique castle.
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