Archive of the Indies

Archivo General de Indias

A free Renaissance building holding the papers of Spain's empire

⚠ Free · closed Mondays

Hours

Tue–Sat 09:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30), Sun and holidays 10:00–14:00, closed Mon (check on site)

Tickets

Free

Address

Avenida de la Constitución 3, across from the cathedral's south door

Sitting between the cathedral and the Alcázar like a neat stone box, this Renaissance building began life as the merchants' exchange. From the 18th century it became the archive for the paperwork of Spain's empire in the Americas and Asia. Up the marble staircase, long galleries of mahogany shelving stretch away over a red-and-white chequerboard floor. Temporary shows sometimes bring out originals such as old maps or letters in Columbus's hand. It's free and rarely has a queue, which makes it a good ten minutes while the cathedral line shrinks.