PALACIO DE SAN TELMO
Guided Visits
The history of San Telmo began in 1681, when a royal institution was founded in Seville to provide education and maritime training for poor and orphaned boys.
Its management was entrusted to the Universidad de Mareantes, the powerful association connected with Seville's maritime professions. The students were prepared for careers linked to navigation, piloting and artillery at a time when the Guadalquivir and Atlantic trade remained fundamental to the life of the city.
1681
The institution was founded under royal patronage to educate poor and orphaned boys and prepare them for maritime professions.
1682
Construction of the new college began outside the historic walls of Seville, close to the Guadalquivir.
The first architect in charge of the works was Antonio Rodríguez, who remained responsible for construction until his death in 1707.
Progress was irregular and the building remained unfinished for decades. After a period of inactivity, Leonardo de Figueroa took over the works between 1721 and 1724 and substantially redesigned the monumental central axis of the complex.
Construction continued under several generations of architects and was finally completed in 1796, more than a century after the first stone had been laid.
The Maritime College was suppressed during the 19th century and the building entered a completely new phase in 1849, when it became the residence of Antoine d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier, and Infanta María Luisa Fernanda de Borbón.
From this period onwards, the former college increasingly became known as the Palacio de San Telmo. The new owners carried out extensive transformations to adapt the enormous institutional building to the needs of a princely residence.
Architect Balbino Marrón directed major works during this period, including new façades, interior transformations and the magnificent ballroom.
The Montpensiers also greatly expanded the surrounding gardens. In 1893, Infanta María Luisa donated around 18.5 hectares of these grounds to the city of Seville. They would eventually become today's famous Parque de María Luisa.
After the death of the Infanta, the palace passed to the Archdiocese of Seville. In 1901 it became the Metropolitan Seminary and remained associated with ecclesiastical education for much of the 20th century.
San Telmo is one of the most important examples of civil Baroque architecture in Spain. Its enormous rectangular plan is organized around courtyards, with towers marking the corners of the building.
The most celebrated exterior feature is its monumental 18th-century main entrance, one of the masterpieces associated with Leonardo de Figueroa and the Sevillian Baroque.
Main Entrance
The richly sculpted Baroque portal creates a dramatic contrast with the more restrained façades surrounding it and forms the monumental entrance to the historic building.
The Chapel
The chapel was redesigned by Leonardo de Figueroa and contains an outstanding Baroque decorative programme involving artists such as Domingo Martínez and Pedro Duque Cornejo.
Another distinctive feature is the northern façade, completed during the late 19th century. Along its upper edge stands a celebrated series of sculptures representing distinguished figures associated with the history and culture of Seville.
The statues were created by the Sevillian sculptor Antonio Susillo and completed in 1895, adding one of the palace's most recognizable exterior features.
In 1989, the building was transferred to the Autonomous Community of Andalusia so that it could become the headquarters of the Presidency of the Regional Government of Andalusia.
After an initial restoration, the palace began this new institutional role in 1992. A second major programme of restoration and rehabilitation was carried out between 2005 and 2010 under architect Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra.
The restoration recovered important historic spaces, removed some of the most intrusive alterations carried out during the 20th century and restored the palace gardens.
San Telmo continues to function as an active institutional building, hosting official meetings and events. At the same time, the San Telmo Abierto programme allows the public to discover its main historic and artistic spaces through scheduled guided visits.
Why Visit Palacio de San Telmo?
Few buildings in Seville have experienced such different lives. San Telmo has been a maritime school, a princely residence, an ecclesiastical seminary and the headquarters of Andalusia's regional Presidency.
Its monumental Baroque entrance, historic chapel, royal history and connection with the origins of Parque de María Luisa make the palace one of the most fascinating buildings in the southern part of Seville's historic centre.
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