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In the 16th and 17th centuries all trade between Europe and the Spanish overseas Empire was managed and governed from this building. In 1785 the building ceased its functions and was converted into an archive of all existing documentation relating to the discovery, conquest and government of the overseas territories: hence the name “Archive of the Indies”. The documentation is still preserved here and includes the originals of several treaties that have changed the history of the world as well as the originals of the reports sent by the discoverers of the New World to the kings of Spain. For all these reasons, the building has been classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The building is grandiose and prestigious, as appropriate for a place where large amounts of money were exchanged and great deals were made, but it is not as exciting as it is stated in the advertisements aimed at visitors to Seville: it is just a huge office building of the late 16th century, in Renaissance style. Inside there is very little to see, and visitors are only allowed to limited portions of the building, namely the courtyard (beautiful but not so special), the monumental staircase leading to the first floor (really impressive), and possibly a room of the ancient archive (an immense empty space with hundreds of empty folders lined up along a wall): the whole visit can be completed in 15 minutes. Unfortunately there is no information posted inside the building, no flyers are distributed to visitors, and there is not even a shop where you can buy a brochure; in this way, the visitor is kept absolutely unaware of the history of the building, of its role in shaping the fate of the Americas and of the wealth of documents preserved in its archives. Miserable. The building still houses the historical archive of the Indies which contains 8 million pages of documents, all of them obviously inaccessible to ordinary visitors. It is also used as a venue for cultural exhibitions: some are very interesting (for example the recent one concerning the Magellan's journey around the world of 1512); others are much less. All in all, the building is scarcely interesting, and the complete absence of educational information makes the visit perfectly useless. My advice is to visit only if an exhibition is in progress, otherwise forget it. Practical info. The Archive is located just in face of the Cathedral. It is open from 9:30 to 17:00; is closed on Monday and Sunday afternoon. Entrance to the building and exhibitions is free. In the morning there can be long waiting lines due to the presence of school groups. The poor infrastructures include: an elevator (which can only be used by disadvantaged people and only with the assistance of staff), a bathroom, a few seats at the entrance. The staff is nice, but has only security functions.…
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Date of experience: February 2020
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Free entry to lobby and stairwell which have aesthetic merit. Access to central courtyard, pretty typical stuff. Temporary exhibition space, which had a small exhibit, mostly about South Africa....
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Date of experience: February 2020
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OK, we must have been lucky as there was no queue to get in and it was generally very quiet inside. The exhibition covering Magellans voyage is fantastic and brought home to us how difficult and dangerous that voyage was.
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Date of experience: February 2020
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Quick visit...absolutely free, albeit security can be a line. A great building, and decent museum. Holds incredible records. Worth a look, but pales compared to its neighbors the Real Alcazar and the Catedral. History buffs will love it.
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Date of experience: November 2019
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(Note: This is a review of the exhibition, NOT the museum as a whole.) "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue..." Which was pretty much the sum total of what I knew about a voyage that was, in fact, epic. This is a world class exhibition, and a *must see* if you are in Seville. Magellan's story is told on several levels - politically, geographically, and personally - via stunning multimedia, exhibits and documentation. There is English signage, too. Three years, five ships, over two hundred men. Only one ship returned. With 18 crew. Magellan didn't make it. It's a story that needs telling, and this exhibition does so brilliantly well. Highly recommended. (There was a short queue when I went, mainly due to get through security: I'm told it can get v busy, but the galleries are spacious.)…
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Date of experience: February 2020
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