The Archivo de Indias was built on top of the site of the ancient royal smithy. In 1572 construction began on the Merchant’s Market by request of the council that ran the cathedral because of the frowned upon practice of the merchants of meeting on the cathedral steps to do business, or even inside the cathedral itself on rainy days. The council, aghast at the behaviour, pressured the crown to build a place dedicated solely to commercial pursuits. The crown agreed and donated the old smithy to the cause.

It should be noted that with the discovery of America in 1492, Seville became the most important port in Europe. It was from this port that all of the ships left and returned carrying gold and silver from the New World and so it was important to have a place where the merchants, captains, sailors, etc. could meet and discuss the particulars of the joint ventures.

The building was designed by Juan de Herrera, and was finished in 1598, although the main entrance wasn’t completed until the XVIII century.

When the maritime commercial monopoly passed from Seville to Cadiz in 1785, with the coming of Carlos III, the Merchant House became the documental and judicial archive of America.  

Of particular interest is the rose colored marble cross found inside the Archive. It was beneath this cross that the merchants swore to be honourable and for in their dealings. The stairs that access the first floor and the exotic wood found on the first floor itself are also worthy of a visit.

Today, the Archive is the most important archival center related to the history of the Indies trading companies and is visited by hundreds of investigators annually. The Archive has moved into the new century by having all of its documents available on microfilm and computer, in an attempt to preserve the information from the destruction that the passage of time has on paper.

Public visits are restricted to the first floor where expositions on geographic discoveries and America are rotated throughout the year.