This garden owes its name to its cross shape. It was probably the most important garden made by the Almohads. The original Muslim level of the garden, which was completely surrounded by porticoes, is four meters deeper than the current garden. The garden was greatly transformed by Alphonse X, who built two cross-shaped galleries along its axes.

The damages caused by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 led to a renovation the palace in the Baroque style. The medieval garden was buried.

Rodrigo Caro, Antigüedades, 56.

Sources: Court Chronicle, 17th century, Archaeological Analysis, 20th century

-Antonio Almagro, Luis Ramón-Laca

Resources:

El Patio del Crucero de los Reales Alcázares de Sevilla (Open in Zotero)

La expresión gráfica en el análisis del Patrimonio: el patio del Crucero del Alcázar de Sevilla (Open in Zotero)

Antigüedades y principado de la ilustrísima ciudad de Sevilla: y chorographia de su convento júridico, o, antigua cancillería. (Open in Zotero)

Originally published at: Almagro, Antonio, and Luis Ramón-Laca. “Patio del Crucero, Alcázar of Seville.” Middle East Garden Traditions. Dumbarton Oaks, November 18, 2014. https://www.doaks.org/resources/middle-east-garden traditions/catalogue#b_start=0&c6=Andalusian++Gardens. Archived at: https://perma.cc/J8KF-DV5P