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Introduction to the City of Sevilla
Seville combines Moorish mystery, baroque splendour and the true spirit of Spain
The city of Seville is the capital of the province of Sevilla, which lies within the Region of Andalucía.
It’s one of the most visited cities in Spain, combining spectacular scenery, interesting vestiges of the Moorish culture and the essence of Spain to create a soulful and characterful city which has much to attract those seeking the spirit of Spain.
Located on the banks of the River Guadalquivir, Sevilla is at once a spectacularly beautiful city with a host of monuments reflecting its glorious past and a thriving modern industrial conurbation with three quarters of a million inhabitants.
First settled by the Tartessians (8th century BC) and the Phoenicians, the city’s cultural and historical identity has also been shaped by long periods of Roman, Visigoth, Arab and of course Christian rule. It is even mentioned in the Bible: King Solomon sent his ships in search of gold to “Tarssis”, the Tartessian name for Sevilla.
The Romans named it “Hispalis” and the Moors “Isbiliya”, and along with Christianity these are perhaps the two cultures which are primarily responsible for Sevilla as we know it today. Under the Romans Hispalis was a trading capital, and the river port became a major destination for ships from all over the Mediterranean.
Although the Moors were expelled in 1248 they left many important buildings as testimony to their presence, including the Giralda, and many later Christian monarchs chose the city as their place of residence. In the 15th and 16th centuries the city was to become the main point of departure for ships travelling to and from the New World, making it one of the busiest trade centres in the world.
At this time Sevilla was the largest urban area in Spain, with almost a million people and a cosmopolitan culture created by the international nature of its economic activity. Many palaces were built, and great creative artists such as Velázquez and Cervantes were drawn to the banks of the Guadalquivir.
Economically Seville is no longer the massive trading port it once was, but there is a large concentration of industry and the services sector is also important. Much investment has been made in research and development facilities, and these are supported by the impressive infrastructures, many of which were allied to the holding of the Universal Exposition in 1992 (including the AVE high-speed train, which covers the 471km to Madrid in two and a half hours). There is also a vibrant university scene in the city.
Twice the venue for the Universal Exposition (1929 and 1992), Seville remains a world renowned city, and its culture is revered as being definitively Spanish thanks to it being the spiritual home of bullfighting, flamenco and tapas. At the Feria de Abril, which is held in the city two weeks after Easter, all of these elements are in evidence, and well over a million visitors flock to the city to enjoy the “corridas”, the dancing, the music and the food. Typical traditional costumes are worn by many: flamenco dresses, Manila shawls and hair in a bun for the women, and tight trousers, short jackets and wide-brimmed hats for the men.
Other important fiestas during the year include Easter itself, and despite the heat many visit during the summer. Locals have been finding ways to combat high temperatures for centuries, and the narrow streets feature water sprays, awnings and of course refreshing drinks to enjoy the summer evenings by the river.
Among the monuments which visitors throng to see are the huge Gothic Cathedral, the bell-tower of which is a former minaret (the Giralda), the Reales Alcázares (a palace in the old Jewish quarter of the city) and the Archivo de Indias, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. The rest of the city is dotted with monuments, parks, museums and gardens.
The dominant feature of the city is of course the river, and all of the bridges are landmarks for both locals and visitors: some are old and others are new, but all of them bear witness to the different cultures of the city’s history.
The same mix influences the food of Sevilla, which is famous for both its tapas and its local speciality dishes, including Andalusian gazpacho, fried and grilled seafood, spinach with chickpeas, ham, lamb kidneys in sherry sauce and a variety of desserts as well as the bitter Seville oranges.
For many centuries, rightly or wrongly, the culture of Seville has been synonymous with the culture of Spain as it is perceived in the rest of the world, and as such it is high on the list of destinations for anyone interested in learning more about the history and cultural identity of Spain and the Spanish.
This is as much the case as ever nowadays, when even such a modern-day phenomenon as the country’s all-conquering national football team views the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuan Stadium as perhaps its spiritual home ground, on account of the unequivocal support received and the successful results achieved (the team has never lost there).
The world champions love Sevilla, and most others will also find it a great place to visit!
Where is Seville, Andalusia?
Click for map, Sevilla, Andalucía