The Real Alcazar in Sevilla was once a palace to kings, first Muslim rulers and then Christian. With each new ruler new additions and decorations were added, creating a new atmosphere for each person. Two rulers stand out in their patronage of new decoration because they were Christian kings who commissioned Islamic style art: Alfonso XI and Pedro the Cruel. By using the local imagery, Alfonso XI could show his dominance and Pedro could show his courtly presence, both competing against the Muslims, either militarily or artistically.1

Home	Religious Use	Political Use	Islamic Designs	Sources	Timeline	Definitions	Links

Political Use

Alfonso XI, after a particularly successful campaign against the Muslims at Granada, commissioned Islamic elements to be added to his palace. Rather than use spolia, Alfonso gave Mudejars work to do, with the result of appropriating these Islamic forms in order to show the Christian triumph over the Muslims.2

Pedro the Cruel, on the other hand, was friend to Muslims, in particular Muhammad V, ruler of the last Muslim city (Granada). Pedro seemed to be acting against the Christian "reconquest" of Spain. He allowed Muhammad to reside in the Alcazar, and this is when Pedro commissioned more Islamic art, including several Arabic inscriptions, as a way to demonstrate his royalty and fitness to rule the region of al-Andalus.3

Pedro the Cruel was competing with the continuing construction and decoration of Muhammad's Alhambra in Granada. This palace has several decorative parallels to the Alcazar in Sevilla, like the screen patterns in the patio areas, the expansive gardens, and the tile and stucco patterns found throughout the complex. This competition is part of the courtly culture of the late Middle Ages, where different courts strove to exude the feeling of luxury.4