Archivo General de Indias Sevilla

Visit the Indian archives of the New World in Seville

General Archives of the Indies of Seville Spain: Info and tickets for visiting the Indian archives of the New World, Archivo General de Indias Sevilla.

Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla

Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla

The Archivo General de Indias is an archive in Seville that contains more than 10 kilometres of bookshelves with documents from the colonial history of 'Las Indias, or the New World', from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. This stately building was originally the trade fair from 1584 for the Consulate of the merchants (Consulado de Mercaderes) for the trade of gold, silver, spices and cocoa between Spain and the 'New World'.

^{Archivo General de Indias}

In 1777, historian Juan Bautista was appointed by King Carlos III to describe the history of the New World. Since the opening in 1785, the archive contains 80 million pages of documents from Christoffel Columbus, Pizarro and Cortés. The museum's collection includes documents, photographs, drawings and diaries.

Nowadays, many documents from the Archivo General de Indias can also be consulted digitally. The Archivo General de Indias usually offers a temporary exhibition that you can visit for free during your Seville city trip.

Facts of General Archives of the Indies

• Historical Importance: The Archivo General de Indias was established in 1785 by King Charles III of Spain to centralize and preserve the documentation of Spain's overseas territories, particularly those in the Americas.
• Location: It is located in the historic center of Seville, adjacent to the Cathedral of Seville and the Real Alcazar.
• Architectural Gem: The building that houses the archive was originally constructed as the Casa Lonja de Mercaderes (House of Trade) in the late 16th century. Its Renaissance-style architecture is a testament to Seville's prominence as a center of trade during the Spanish Golden Age.
• Document Collection: The archive contains millions of documents dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries, including letters, maps, administrative records, and other materials pertaining to Spanish colonization and governance in the Americas.
• Scope of Collection: The documents housed in the General Archives of the Indies provide valuable insights into various aspects of colonial life, including governance, exploration, trade, slavery, religion, and culture.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site: In 1987, the Archivo General de Indias, along with the Cathedral of Seville and the Real Alcazar, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its cultural and historical significance.

Location of the Seville Archives

Nearby are also:

La Giralda

Reales Alcazares

Barrio de Santa Cruz

Flamenco museum