What you'll hear inside General Archive of the Indies:

• 1
  Upper Floor - Documentary Collections

  Spaces housing 43,000 bundles containing 80 million pages of historical documents on Spanish administration in America and the Philippines.

• 2
  Central Courtyard

  A square courtyard measuring 56 metres on each side, forming the principal architectural element of the building designed by Juan de Herrera.

• 3
  Monumental Staircase

  An imposing stone staircase connecting the two vaulted floors of the building, exemplifying Herrera's architectural style.

• 4
  Maps and Plans Collection

  Over 8,000 historical maps and drawings documenting the cartography of Spanish overseas territories.

• 5
  Archives of the Casa de la Contratación

  Documentary collection from the Seville institution that regulated trade and navigation with the Americas between 1503 and 1790.

• 6
  Columbus's Autograph Documents

  Original handwritten texts by Christopher Columbus, including his annotated copy of Abraham Zacuto's Perpetual Almanac.

• 7
  Cilla del Cabildo – Department of References

  An eighteenth-century adjoining building housing the archive's library, research room and conference hall.