As you travel along the Isla la Cartuja in Spain’s historical city of Seville, you might notice a cluster of high-walled buildings and odd conical structures hidden behind a few rows of hedges and trees. They appear uniformly honey-colored under the midday light with identical raftered roofs save for a single grand dome heavily embellished with intricate stone work. A singular torreon overlooks the Guadalquivir River, the repeating patterns on its face reflecting a touch of Moorish. These buildings together have housed monks, had Cristopher Columbus tread through their corridors and sheltered Napoleon’s troop during siege. The kilns found within have been fired for days on end in the production of the azulejos or colorful ceramic tiles Seville is known for. They continue to preserve works of contemporary art and ornate altars in alcoves side by side.

Yet the tale of this complex began even before the 16th Century. The Monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas as it is known was built when an image of the Virgin was found in caves while excavation for clay was being done in the Moorish era. It went through several hands and roles before settling in its present role as the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo, or a modern art gallery that retains its original Euro-Arabic influence architecture known as the Mudejar style commonly found in Seville. As you’ll come to realize, reflected in the waters before the Monastery are centuries of culture and transition.