Archivo General de Indias

The Archivo General de Indias is the quietest of Seville's three UNESCO World Heritage buildings and an easy one to overlook, which is a mistake. The building was commissioned by Philip II as the Casa Lonja, the exchange of the city's merchants, who until then had traded on the steps of the Cathedral. It was designed by Juan de Herrera, the architect of El Escorial, and built from 1584, finally being completed in the 17th century. Its plain, severe Renaissance style, with no sculptural decoration, stands in deliberate contrast to the Gothic cathedral across the road.

In 1785 Carlos III created the archive to bring together in one place the documents of Spain's overseas empire, which had been scattered between Simancas, Cádiz and Seville. The first cartloads of papers arrived that autumn, and a grand marble staircase was added soon afterwards. Today the collection fills around nine kilometres of shelving and runs to tens of millions of pages, from the records of the Casa de Contratación, which controlled trade with the Americas, to maps, plans and letters written by explorers, conquistadors and colonial officials.

Visitors are welcome to see the building and the exhibitions on the upper floor. Climb the staircase to walk around the galleries above the central courtyard, with their long rows of cedar and mahogany shelves, and look at the documents displayed in rotating exhibitions, which may include original maps, royal orders and signatures of famous figures from the age of exploration. The research rooms are reserved for accredited researchers.

Entry is free and the visit takes about 30 to 45 minutes, which makes it an ideal stop between the Cathedral and the Alcázar, or a cool place to spend half an hour in the heat of the afternoon. It is closed on Mondays and has shorter hours on Sundays, so check the current timetable before you go. Bags may need to be left at the entrance. The courtyard and staircase are impressive in themselves, even if exhibitions are not your interest.

The archive stands on the Avenida de la Constitución between the Cathedral and the Alcázar, by the Archivo de Indias tram stop. The Plaza del Triunfo, the Santa Cruz quarter and the river are all a few minutes' walk away.