Tomb of Christopher Columbus: Four Kingdoms Bearing the Admiral
Why is it significant?
Approach the south transept near the Puerta de San Cristóbal and stand before one of the most theatrical funerary monuments on earth.
Key Facts
| Place | Tomb of Christopher Columbus: Four Kingdoms Bearing the Admiral |
|---|---|
| Address | Cathedral of Seville, 41004 Sevilla, Spain |
| Geo Coordinates | 37.38590, -5.99300 |
| Part of Walk | Imperial Seville: The Real Alcázar, Giralda, and Columbus's Tomb |
| Generated | Generated |
Approach the south transept near the Puerta de San Cristóbal and stand before one of the most theatrical funerary monuments on earth. Four towering bronze figures dressed in royal heraldic tabards carry an ornate bronze casket aloft on their shoulders, their stoic expressions frozen in monumental solemnity.
The four figures represent the historic constituent kingdoms of Spain during Columbus's voyages: Castile, León, Aragon, and Navarre. Notice the front bearer representing Castile: with his foot, he firmly spears a pomegranate, symbolizing the fall of Granada and the completion of the Spanish Reconquista in fourteen ninety-two.
Columbus's bones traveled nearly as much in death as in life: first buried in Valladolid, then moved to Seville, then shipped across the Atlantic to Santo Domingo, then moved to Havana, before finally returning across the ocean to Seville in eighteen ninety-eight after Spain lost Cuba.
Exit through the Puerta del Príncipe into the plaza to visit the Archivo General de Indias.