"It is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Sede in Seville.
It measures 97.5 meters high and 101 meters including the Giraldillo, which measures 3.5 meters. For centuries it was the tallest tower in Spain, as well as one of the tallest and most famous buildings in Europe (the Tower of Pisa measures 55.8 m and Big Ben 96.3 m). On December 29, 1928 it was declared a National Heritage Site and in 1987 a World Heritage Site.
Its construction was based on the minaret of the Kutubia Mosque in Marrakech (Morocco), also built in the twelfth century.
Its unique architecture and original forms have served as inspiration for many later towers in the United States, Russia, Poland and other countries around the world. There is a replica in the city of Kansas City, twinned with Seville, where it is reproduced along with the Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes.
The lower two thirds of the tower correspond to the minaret of the old mosque of the city, from the late twelfth century, in the Almohad period, which measures 50.85 meters and has a square floor plan of 13.5 meters on each side.
The upper third is from the Christian period and houses the belfry, which has 24 bells, 18 with turn bells and 6 with clappers (it is the cathedral in Spain with the largest number of bells, without taking into account the carillons).
At its peak, on a ball called tinaja, stands the Giraldillo, which weighs 1300 kilos and is a weathervane representing the victory of the Christian Faith, made between 1566 and 1568 (It was cast in bronze by Bartolomé Morel)."
(
visit link)
(
visit link)