Plaza del Cabildo, Seville

Plaza del Cabildo is a quiet semicircular square beside Seville Cathedral, reached through passages from the surrounding streets. Its design comes from architect Joaquín Barquín y Barón, with marble columns carrying a run of arcades whose fresco decoration was created by Sevillian painter José Palomar. The arcades support buildings rising as high as three storeys, giving the enclosure a distinctive curved character.

Inside, you can see a fountain, small shops and a surviving section of Seville’s old wall extending for about 50 metres. The site occupies ground once belonging to the Cathedral Chapter, where the College of San Miguel stood until its demolition in the mid twentieth century. On Sunday mornings, the calm changes into a collectors’ market offering stamps, banknotes, coins, medals, minerals and military badges.