The distinctive arches of the Atarazanas © Fiona Flores Watson |
|
Atarazanas de Sevilla – the Royal Shipyards of Seville
The Atarazanas are Seville’s medieval Royal Shipyards in the Arenal district, formerly the port area. They are located about halfway between the Alcazar palace and the river, on the corner of calle Temprano and calle Dos de Mayo. The shipyards are currently closed to the public (January 2025), although long-standing plans for a cultural centre are predicted to be finished soon.
A vast space of soaring brick arches and vaulted ceilings which dates from the 13th century, the Gothic-Mudéjar shipyards are one of the city's oldest structures, along with the Torre de Oro, the Alcazar and the Giralda.
What were they used for?
The Atarazanas were built by King Alfonso X in 1252 outside the fortified city walls, as a suitably capacious space in which to construct the royal fleet. The shipyards consisted of 17 wide, tall warehouses (of which 7 remain) all connected to each other. Five of the original naves are located within the adjoining Hospital de la Caridad and its patios, which was built subsequently, in 1641.
The shipyards were originally on the same level as the river Guadalquivir, and next to the river, so that the new ships could be hauled out and launched directly into the water. The ground level has gradually been raised, so that the bases of the arches are now several metres underground.
As well as building the vessels, the shipyards were also used for maintaining them, making water pumps, holding events, and keeping prisoners.
From the 16th century onwards they were used as trading and customs offices, as well as warehouses to store spices, sugar, medicinal plants and wood from the Indies.
In the 18th century, the Real Maestranza de Artilleria (Royal Artillery Workshops, where weapons are assembled and maintained) was housed there.
In 1949, five of the naves were demolished to make way for Hacienda (Tax Ministry) offices.
In recent times, they have been used to house occasional events and exhibitions, such as BIACS, the contemporary art show, in 2006.
New development
The Atarazanas have been owned by the regional government since 1993, which bought them from the Government Defence Ministry. In 2008, there was a plan to house the CaixaForum cultural centre there, but that was eventually transferred to Torre Sevilla. La Caixa maintained a 2.8 euro million investment in the restoration project and planned cultural centre.
Sevillian architect Vázquez Consuegra submitted a design in 2014, which was rejected on architectural heritage grounds in 2016; negotiations over the details of how the building could be modified continued until 2020.
The shipyards are seen as completing the group of buildings which comprise the UNESCO heritage site: the Cathedral and Giralda, the Archivo de las Indias, and the Alcazar, and providing a crucial link between these world-famous monuments and the river.
Atarazanas on screen
In Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 2, Stormborn, the Atarazanas were used as the Crypt of the Red Fort in King’s Landing, where the Lannisters were developing a secret weapon to take on Queen Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons. The scenes were filmed in 2016 and broadcast in 2017. Other locations in Seville were also used to film the critically acclaimed and commercially successful fantasy drama.
Admission
Not open to the public, but a cultural centre is planned once restoration is complete in 2025 or 2026. It has hosted occasional events and exhibitions. You can see the Atarazanas through windows in calle Dos de Mayo, though not always - depends if they’ve been left open or not.