View Large Map

Archive of the Indies in Seville

The General Archive of the Indies was established in 1785 by King Carlos III, for the purpose of centralizing in one place all the documentation concerning the Spanish colonies, that was, until then scattered in various archives.

The Auction House of Merchants of Seville, built in the time of Philip II between 1584 and 1598, was chosen as the location of the file, a task that plays to this day.

The documents preserved today occupy more than nine km of linear shelf.  There are some 43,000 bundles with some 80 million pages and 8,000 maps and drawings that come mainly from the metropolitan agencies responsible for the administration of the colonies.

It is currently the largest existing file on the activities of Spain in America and the Philippines. It contains information on political, social, economic and religious history of the territories discovered in America.

Saving many pieces of great historical value: texts autographs of Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro,.. All of this documentation is available to researchers who spend time each year in the archives.

Opening Hours Archive of the Indies of Seville:

Free entrance

Official website Archive of the Indies of Seville

All times and ticket prices are approximate. To confirm times and fares see the official sites.