An imposing and maybe unexpected entrance which gives a clue to the history of the building
another clue is the chimney on the side of the entrance.
It's a fascinating history so I will spend a bit of time on it.
The Centre of Contemporary Art used to be a monastery, the Monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas, also known as the Monastery of the Cartuja (Charterhouse).
Legend has it that the area, in Moorish times, was honeycombed with caves made by potters for ovens and to obtain clay, and that after the capture of the city by Christians in the 13th century, an image of the virgin was revealed inside one of the caves, where supposedly it had been hidden. This prompted the construction of the chapel of Santa Maria de las Cievas to house the icon. In the 15th century, a Franciscan monastery was founded at the site. Monks of the cloistered order of Saint Bruno were housed in the monastery. For a while, the remains of Christopher Columbus were interred here.
During the Napoleonic invasion, the monastery was sacked and used as barracks. After returning in 1812, the monastery was finally vacated with the general closure of monasteries in 1835-36.
Following the confiscation of church property during that time, Charles Pickman, an Englishman acquired the property and turned it into a ceramics factory. He established innovative manufacturing methods such as importing raw materials, the use of molds, using specialised machinery, mechanical arms and presses. He employed pottery workers from nearby Triana. This led to La Cartuja de Sevilla becoming one of the most popular brands in Europe and in Latin America. Production continued until 1984. The bottle shaped kilns and tall chimneys are the legacy of the ceramics factory.
In 1997, the older part of the monastery became the site of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
We loved looking at the art that was exhibited as much as we loved exploring the historical grounds of the former monastery which include the old chain door, atrium, four chapels, the priory cells, church, cloisters, monks' chapter, refectory gardens and orchards.
Ceramic tiles on the side of the front door
and we walked through the gates
to a massive site
and massive gardens
in all of the buildings
The grounds are extensive and there are so many buildings, so we walked on, searching for the exhibition centre
and then we saw a sign
and were greeted by this.
The chapel was built in 1507. It housed the remains of Christopher Columbus with those of his brother Diego and his eldest son, Diego Columbus. Columbus had a close relationship with the Carthusian monastery due to his stays in the guesthouse and his friendship with Fray Gaspar de Gorricio, who assisted him in preparing the case he presented to the Catholic Monarchs to fund his second voyage to the Americas. The Columbian Archive was stored in the monastery even before the explorer's death. The remains stayed here until 1537, then they were moved to the Dominican Republic, and then returned to Seville, where they now rest in the Cathedral.
During the French occupations (1810-1812) then later when the site became a porcelain factory, the chapel lost its liturgical functions and was repurposed as an archive for the factory.
We enjoyed the exhibition but also the contrast between the contemporary art within such historic building.
We moved on to the atrium which serves as a connecting space between several buildings of the monastery: the church facade; the former prior's cell which later became the residence of Charles Pickman and then a laboratory during the porcelain factory period (1841-1842); the Procuration, which became the Pickman family home.
A small fountain in the middle
The stuccoes once framed a series of paintings by Francisco de Zurbaran, now housed in the Museo de las Bellas Artes de Sevilla.
as well as the huge chimney
old buildings with two chimneys at the end
A small pavilion which we decided to investigate
The Pavilion of Saints Justa and Rufina, also known as the Pickman Pavillion. The building has an open-sided ground floor, large windows on the second storey and a lookout tower at the top.
Black Pearl Curtain, by Olaf Nicolai, 2004.
Nicolai's work covered all of those openings with curtains of black plastic beads.
We moved on
Looking closer at one of them - I presume this is where the ceramic pieces were put in for firing
The large chimney dominates
We entered the main, large courtyard which, when the site was a monastery, was used as a cemetery for the monks and priors, reinforcing the symbolic role of this space as the spiritual heart of the monastery.
We walked along the Large Cloister, the architectural core of the monastery, structured around three galleries and the central courtyard.
The monastic cells were to be found here, each cell designed as a self-sufficient unit with two floors: a study and workshop on the ground floor, and a bedroom and oratory above. At the back, each cell had a private garden, latrine and woodshed. Meals were delivered through a small window, with no direct contact, allowing the monks to remain in solitude most of the time. They only left their cells for church services, the communal walk on Mondays and Sundays, or shared meals in the refectory.
The prior's cell reached the scale of a small palatial residence, complete with a courtyard, fountain, private chapel, library, guest rooms, and even a jail, reflecting the strict hierarchy of the Carthusian order.
In the middle of the 19th century the site was transformed into a modern industrial plant dedicated to fine earthenware. The ceramics produced here were shippped all over the world. The factory became the most important in southern Europe and one of the most innovative of its time, marking Seville's transition from a conventual city to an industrial capital.
Between 1986 and 1992, the whole area was reconstructed, blending monastic and industrial heritage to transform it into the Art Centre. The cells have become exhibition spaces.
And then back to the large courtyard
Between 1986 and 1992, the whole area was reconstructed, blending monastic and industrial heritage to transform it into the Art Centre. The cells have become exhibition spaces.
We went inside those exhibition spaces and saw two exhibitions, The Eternal Present by Cachito Valles and Amefrica, an exhibition of Black art from America and Africa. There will be posts on both at some stage.
And then back to the large courtyard
A look at one of the cloisters from the outside this time
Having finished our tour of the site, we retraced our steps and moved on to the atrium we had walked through earlier
Saw this building and went to investigate
could not get inside as the gate was locked
spotted this balloon which we later on saw from the roof of the Metropol Parasol
We continued on our way, Torre Sevilla in the distance
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