Seville, Córdoba & Granada
3rd November – 9th November 2025

*Fully Booked*

We have designed a new trip to visit the vibrant cities of Seville, Córdoba, and Granada – the perfect adventure for those seeking to uncover the soul of Southern Spain. Between the 13th and 17thcenturies, Andalusia underwent a period of profound transformation marked by shifts in leadership and territorial boundaries. This era left an indelible imprint on the country, giving rise to a vibrant fusion of art, architecture, and culture that reflects the rich diversity of influences that shaped the region. From the rule of Islamic dynasties to the rise of the Catholic Monarchs, Andalusia became a crossroads of different faiths, moral systems, and ideologies.

Join us as we explore the enduring legacy of these influences, from the Spanish Gothic and the European Renaissance to Mudejar and Islamic art. We will stay in carefully selected hotels in each city, chosen for their position, tranquillity and charm. Great food and wine will also play its part and we have enjoyed searching out the best.

 

Itinerary

Monday 3rd November
Our flight will land in Seville at noon. We will drop our bags at the hotel and head out for a light lunch at a nearby restaurant. We will introduce the history of the city with a walk through the historic centre, ending with a visit to the world’s largest gothic cathedral in the heart of Seville which houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The cathedral was built over what had previously been the city’s main mosque, and incorporates the former Islamic minaret into the monumental bell tower, La Giralda. Dinner will be at a great place in the centre.

Tuesday 4th November
In the morning, we will visit a jewel of Renaissance and Gothic architecture, La Capilla de Santa María de Jesús. Inside the chapel, we will find a calm and tranquil space to study the beautiful retablo painted by the Seville-born artist Luis de Vargas.

After lunch, we will make our way to the Royal Alcazar of Seville, where we will meet our guide, Gulielmus Rutten. Originally built by the Abd al-Rahman III in the 10th century, the Alcazar began as a Moorish palace, and is a fabulous example of Islamic and Mudejar architectural styles. As the Christian monarchs of the Reconquista took control of Seville in the 13th century, they added Gothic elements and later Renaissance features were incorporated during the rule of the Catholic Monarchs and subsequent Habsburg kings. Each successive ruler left their mark on the palace, creating a unique fusion of Islamic, Christian, Gothic, and Renaissance architectural styles and craftsmanship for us to dive into. Our guide, Gulielmus Rutten, who is a biologist by training, will also show us the extensive gardens which are a key element of Muslim architecture. We will have dinner together in the old Moorish Baths.

Wednesday 5th November
We will start the day with a visit to the lesser known but very special sacred art collection at the Monastery of Santa Paula. From there we will go on to the ‘Casa de Pilatos’, a fabulous palace originally built in the 15th century as a residence for the Ponce de León family, and now occupied by the ducal Medinaceli family. This glorious mansion synthesises innovations of the Renaissance with Gothic Mudejar traditions. We will see beautiful examples of azujelos (ceramic tiles) and artesonados (ceilings of interlaced beams with decorative insertions).
In the afternoon we will move onto to our next city, Córdoba. Once we arrive, we will settle in to the hotel before strolling through the streets on a walking introduction to the history and ending at one of our favourite restaurants in the city centre.

Thursday 6th November
A highlight of the trip will be our visit to the UNESCO site of the former Great Mosque of Córdoba, now the Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption, where we will meet our guide, Isabel Ritcher.
The Great Mosque is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus in the late 8th century. The enormous hypostyle prayer hall infinite with its forest of 856 columns and striped arches cannot be missed. Continuing our exploration of religion in Córdoba we will visit the early 14th century synagogue just a few streets away.

After lunch we will take our coach to our second UNESCO world heritage site of the day, Medina Azahara, a 10th century fortified palace-city built by the Umayyad Caliphate. This remarkable site of archaeological ruins and mosaics offers a rare glimpse into the grandeur of Islamic Spain at its peak. We will round off the day with dinner at a charming restaurant, sitting on the same hill on the outskirts of Córdoba.

Friday 7th November
This morning you will have the option to visit the Archaeology Museum, housing an extensive collection that spans the city’s rich history across the Roman, Islamic and Medieval periods. Highlights include Roman mosaics, sculptures, and funerary artifacts, as well as wonderful examples of intricate Islamic ceramics and metalwork. Alternatively, you may wish to visit the Alcazar of Córdoba, former residence of Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon.

In the afternoon we will drive to Granada. After settling into the hotel, our introduction to the city will take us to the Albaicín district, with our guide Haim Casas who will give us a tour of the old Jewish quarter. We will finish the day with a special dinner overlooking excellent views of the Alhambra.

Saturday 8th November
Our day will begin at the historic and monumental Cathedral, Royal Chapel and Sagrario complex, dedicated to the two biblical St Johns and final resting place of some of Spain’s most influential rulers.
After lunch we will visit the grand Monastery of San Jerónimo, where we will study a beautifully carved choir stall and a fantastic mannerist style altarpiece painted by Pedro Machuca. For our final group dinner we will celebrate in style at a tapas bar where we can also watch some Flamenco dancing. Finally, we will visit the Alhambra for a guided night tour, where we will benefit from fewer crowds than in the day and a magical atmosphere. The Alhambra, whose name derives from the Arabic al-qala’a al-hamra (the Red Castle), is one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. It was transformed in the 13th and 14th centuries by the Nasrid dynasty into a fortified palace to resemble ‘a paradise on earth’. Following the Christian reconquest in the 15th century, Charles V destroyed a wing of the palace to build a huge Renaissance building which still holds his name.

Sunday 9th November
On our final morning in Granada, we will return to the magnificent Alhambra to see it by day too, and continue exploring the enormous site with our guide. We will have an early lunch allowing for a relaxed wander through the streets of Granada back to the hotel before driving to the airport for our flight home.

 

Further Details

Tuition – Ed Aspinall and Natalia Muñoz-Rojas will lead the trip. Ed has taken many Artemisia tours and is a specialist in Renaissance art. Natalia Muñoz-Rojas is a PhD candidate at the Courtauld Institute of Art, where she has also taught. Her research focuses on the Christianisation of Granada following its conquest by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492. We will be joined by guides where they are compulsory.

Hotels – In Seville we will stay in Hotel Gravina 51, a converted 18th century palacio in Seville’s old quarter, with both a rooftop terrace and a plant-filled courtyard. In Córdoba we will be staying in the heart of the historic Jewish quarter at Las Casas de la Judería, the perfect oasis with beautiful gardens, patios and an outdoor pool. In Granada we will stay in Palacio Gran Vía, a former bank converted into a 5 star hotel with glorious attention to detail, Alhambra-esque decorative tiling throughout and reclaimed Moorish ceilings. Upgrades are available in all hotels.

Hotel websites:
https://en.hotelgravina51.com/gallery/
https://www.lascasasdelajuderiadecordoba.com/
https://www.barcelo.com/en-es/palacio-gran-via-a-royal-hideaway-hotel/

Flights – We do not book the flights thus allowing you to travel to suit your budget, use airmiles, travel between different airports or on different dates.
However, we recommend buying the following flights with EasyJet and Vueling:

3rd November EasyJet London Gatwick 08:50 – 12.40 Seville EZY8005
9th November Vueling Malaga 17:00 -18:50 London Gatwick VY6616 (TBC)

Transport – There will be airport transfers to meet the recommended flights. We will also be driven in a private coach between cities. The longest journey is from Córdoba and Granada will take 2.5 hours to drive (there will be a break midway).

Ability – There is quite a lot of walking on this trip, as well as slopes and uneven cobbles. As many of the streets are small you will need to walk from the coach to the churches and museums. As is the case for all our courses, there is a lot of standing while we discuss the works we are looking at.

Lunches and Dinners – Lunches are a set menu of two courses to include drinks. Dinner is by no means compulsory, but we book a table for the group each night at different restaurants and divide the bill equally between everyone. Sometimes these may also need to be a set menu but we try our best to avoid this. We will adjust the bill for those not drinking alcohol.

Cost – The fees are £3100 which includes accommodation and breakfast, all lunches, transfers for the recommended flight, transport when connected with teaching, entrance fees, tuition, private guides, Alhambra by night tour, reading lists and local advice. The single occupancy supplement is £290 (double room for single use). All rooms are standard, upgrade to a superior is £220 per room for whole trip. Not included are the flights, all suppers, travel insurance. The group will not exceed 16 people and we will divide in to two smaller groups wherever possible.

 

If you have any queries please email charlie@arthistoryabroad or call 01379 871800 (302
NB you must buy your own flights