For most Sevillians, the Town Hall is the central building of the city’s capital. It is located in the Plaza Nueva and is the place where the mayor and councillors of Seville work for the future of the city. This building, however, is not only administrative or political, but also hides different architectural styles with a characteristic history, it is surrounded by myths and legends and contains impressive works of art that are unknown to most of the citizens of Seville.
If you want to find out all about this important building, don’t hesitate to take a tour inside.
The work on the Seville Town Hall began in 1526, as the city had experienced a remarkable economic growth due to the Casa de Contratación de Indias. However, the work was long and it was not until 1556 that a town council was held there for the first time. Until that time, the Council or Cabildo of Seville had its headquarters in some houses in the Corral de los Olmos, where the Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes is today.
It was decided that this new headquarters would be in the Plaza de San Francisco, where the Royal Court was already located, as this square was an ideal place for commerce. Diego de Riaño was in charge of the works and was asked to build a stone construction that would last for a long time.
However, plans changed and in 1534 Diego de Riaño moved to Valladolid where he was in charge of the collegiate church of Santa María la Mayor. Thus, the quantity surveyor of the Seville Town Hall, Juan Sánchez, became the senior master builder and followed the design that Riaño had previously made. Since then, the town hall has undergone several renovations. The most notable was in the 19th century after the French invasion.
Seville City Hall is open every day except weekends, but be careful not to confuse the general opening hours with the visiting hours because they are very different.
If you want to visit the Town Hall, you must take into account that there are two shifts every day during the week (except Fridays) in the afternoon and one shift on Saturday mornings. Saturday tickets tend to sell out early, so if you want to enjoy the visit during the weekend, don’t hesitate and buy your ticket as soon as possible. The exact timetable for the visits is as follows:
Please note that the visits start at the scheduled time, so if you don’t want to miss anything you should arrive 10 minutes beforehand.
You can take a guided tour of the historic and current headquarters of the Seville City Hall, the emblem of the city, for a small fee. Ticket prices vary depending on the day. General admission is 4€. If you are over 65 years old, the price is 2€. For those born or resident in Seville city, people with an accredited disability and children under 16, admission is free. Minors must always be accompanied by an adult.
On Saturdays, admission is free for the general public. In other words, you will enjoy a visit to Seville City Hall without spending anything! It’s the perfect opportunity to get to know this place so characteristic of the city.
To get your ticket, all you have to do is go to the city hall website and book online. There you’ll find detailed prices and you’ll get your ticket in just one click.
Seville City Hall is located in the city centre, specifically at Plaza Nueva, 1. Parking is not allowed in the immediate area and the few car parks around it are usually full, especially on weekends. We therefore recommend using public transport:
There are several bus lines leading to the town hall: 03, 27, 32, 38A, M-111, M-134, M-160, M-176.
If you prefer to go by train, the lines you can use are: C1, C3 and C4
If you want to go by metro, take L1 and get off at Puerta Jerez. The town hall is only a 10-minute walk away. This is the best option. If you don’t want to walk, you are in a hurry or you simply prefer a more comfortable option, you can take the metrocentro at Puerta Jerez and get off at the last stop: Plaza Nueva. You will be in front of Seville City Hall in less than 5 minutes.
There are many curious facts that the Town Hall hides within its walls and its history. Firstly, it was a gift from Charles V to the city of Seville. He had married Isabella of Portugal in Seville and fell in love with her. He decided to endow Seville with a striking monumental architecture in keeping with the city’s status due to its trade with America. He wanted the city to show the importance it had.
The construction of the city hall is also remarkable. This was done in two phases: the first during the 16th century, by order of King Charles V; and the second in the 19th century, after the demolition of the convent of San Francisco. This is the reason why both façades are different in style: one Plateresque and the other neoclassical. If we stand in front of them, it would seem that we are in front of two different buildings.
This building has a characteristic corner. In the corner that forms the “Arquillo” with the Plaza de San Francisco we find a stone cross. Its origin has been the subject of many myths and legends. For example, it was thought to be the place where the souls of those executed by the Inquisition were prayed for. However, the reality is that this cross has nothing to do with the tribunal of the Church.
