Seville
Encyclopedia
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain
. It is the capital of the autonomous community
of Andalusia
and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir
, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level
. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman
name of the city, Hispalis. The population of the city of Seville was 704,198 as of 2010 (INE
), ranking as the fourth largest city of Spain. The population of the metropolitan area
(urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,508,605 as of 2010 (INE estimate).
n colonization of the Tartessos
culture from south-western Iberia, meaning "lowland". During Roman
rule, the name was Latinized as Hispalis. After Moorish invasion, this name evolved to Ishbiliya (Arabic أشبيليّة) due to the phonetic phenomenon called imela, since "p" does not exist in Arabic, and stressed "a" /æ/ turns into "i" /i/. The current Spanish denomination Sevilla come from the Arabic Isbiliya.
In mythology, the founder of the city is considered to be Hercules
. The city was known from Roman times as Hispalis. The nearby Roman city of Italica
, a mainly residential city at the time, is well-preserved and gives an impression of how Hispalis may have looked in the later Roman period. Important remains also exist in the nearby city of Carmona
. Existing Roman features in Seville include the remnants of an aqueduct
, a temple in Mármoles street and vestiges of the walls surrounding the city that was ordered built by Julius Caesar. A sample of these walls in a state of good preservation can be seen next to the Basilica of the Virgen Macarena.
Following Roman rule, there were successive conquests of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica
by the Vandals
and the Visigoths during the 5th and 6th centuries.
of Hispalis by the Moors
in 712, Seville was taken by the Muslims. It was capital for the Kings of the Umayyad Caliphate, the Almoravid dynasty, and the Almohad dynasty (from Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i.e., "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians"), from the 8th to 13th centuries. In 1248 forces of King Fernando III
of Castile won victory in Seville's chapter of the peninsula's Catholic Reconquista
(reconquest).
The Moorish urban influences continued and are very present in contemporary Seville, a legacy appreciated by scholars and travelers. However, most of the Moorish aesthetic buildings actually belong to Mudéjar
style, Islamic art developed under Christian rule. Some original elements remain, including public structures, the urban fabric in the historic district, and large sections of the fortified city wall, as well as parts of the Alcázar
and the Cathedral
, including its bell tower
, the Giralda
, built up from the Minaret
of the original grand mosque
. The Alcázar and the Cathedral are both listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
together with the Archivo de Indias
.
conquest in 1248. Public buildings constructed including churches, many of which were built in Mudéjar
style, and the Seville Cathedral
, built during the 15th century with Gothic architecture
. The Moors' Palace became the Castilian royal residence, and during Pedro I
's rule it was replaced by the Alcázar
(the upper levels are still used by the Royal Family
as the official Seville residence).
In 1391, Archdeacon Ferrant Martinez closed all the synagogue
s in Seville, converting them to churches, as in the case of Santa María la Blanca, and also appropriated the Jewish quarter's land and shops (sited in modern-day 'Barrio Santa Cruz'). Thousands were killed during the pogrom
, while others were forced to convert
. The Plaza de San Francisco was the site of the 'autos de fé'. At first, the activity of the Inquisition
was limited to the dioceses of Seville and Cordoba, where Alonso de Hojeda had detected converso activity. The first Auto de Fé
took place in Seville on 6 February 1481, when six people were burned alive. Alonso de Hojeda himself gave the sermon. The Inquisition then grew rapidly. By 1492, tribunals existed in eight Castilian cities: Ávila, Cordoba, Jaén, Medina del Campo, Segovia, Sigüenza, Toledo and Valladolid.
Following the 1492 Christopher Columbus
expedition to the New World
(from Palos de la Frontera's port), the results from his claiming territory and trade for the Crown of Castile (incipient Spain) in the West Indies began to profit the city, as all goods imported from the New World had to pass through the Casa de Contratacion
before being distributed throughout the rest of Spain. A 'golden age of development' commenced in Seville, due to its being the only port awarded the royal monopoly for trade with the growing Spanish colonies in the Americas
and the influx of riches from them. Since only sailing ships
leaving from and returning to the inland port of Seville could engage in trade with the Spanish Americas
, merchants from Europe and other trade centers needed to go to Seville to acquire New World
trade goods. The city's population grew to nearly a million people in the first hundred years after Columbus.
In the late 16th century the monopoly was broken, with the port of Cádiz
also authorized as a port of trade. The Great Plague of Seville
in 1649 reduced the population by almost half, and it would not recover until the early 19th century. By the 18th century its international importance was in decline. After the silting up of the harbor by the Guadalquivir
(river) upriver shipping ceased and the city went into relative economic decline. Seville's development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was characterised by population growth and increasing industrialisation
, unlike the rest of Andalusia
.
in 1936. General Queipo de Llano carried out a coup within the city, quickly capturing the city centre. Radio Seville opposed the uprising and called for the peasants to come to the city for arms, while worker's groups established barricades. De Llano then moved to capture Radio Seville, which he used to broadcast propaganda on behalf of the Francoist forces. After the initial takeover of the city, resistance continued amongst the working-class areas for some time, until a series of fierce reprisals took place.
, the Cathedral
, and the Archivo General de Indias
(General Archive of the Indies) are a UNESCO World Heritage Site
.
The neighbourhood of Triana
, situated on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River, played an important role in the history of the city and constitutes by itself a folk, monumental and cultural center.
On the other hand, at the northern side of the city center is found the La Macarena
neighbourhood, with some religious and monumental remarks, such as the Museum and Basilica of La Macarena or the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas
.
. It was established in 1835 in the former Convent of La Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo
, Pacheco
, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Baroque Sevillian School, containing also Flemish paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Other remarkable museums in Seville are:
In the future the pottery museum is planned to be placed in Triana neighbourhood, at the west bank of the river.
Although it is not properly a park, most the Guadalquivir
shores constitute a linear string of parks and green areas from Isabel II bridge to the Parque del Alamillo. The Chapina green, between Plaza de Armas bus station and Isabel II bridge, offers a nice view of Triana
neighbourhood old quarter, and it is a popular zone for resting and sunbathing. La Cartuja
rivershore has a well-developed shady river forest, panoramic piers, and floating walkways.
Other prominent parks and gardens include:
(Köppen climate classification
Csa), with Semi-arid climate (BSh) influences. The annual average temperature is 18.6 °C (65 °F).
and the Feria de Sevilla (Seville Fair)
, also known as Feria de Abril (April Fair), are the two most well-known of Seville's festivals. Seville is internationally renowned for the solemn but beautiful processions during Holy Week
and the colourful and lively fair held two weeks after. During Feria, families, businesses and organizations set up casetas (marquees) in which they spend the week dancing, drinking, and socializing. Traditionally, women wear elaborate flamenco
dresses and men dress in their best suits. The marquees are set up on a permanent fairground in which each street is named after a famous bullfighter.
and Huelva
, olive oil
from Jaén, and sherry
from Jerez de la Frontera
.
The tapas
scene is one of the main cultural attractions of the city: people go from one bar to another, enjoying small dishes called tapas (literally "lids" or "covers" in Spanish, referring to their probable origin as snacks served in small plates used to cover drinks.)
Local specialities include fried and grilled seafood (including squid
, choco (cuttlefish
), swordfish
, marinated dogfish
, and ortiguillas), grilled and stewed meat, spinach
with chickpeas, Jamón ibérico
, lamb kidneys in sherry sauce, snails, caldo de puchero
, and gazpacho
. A sandwich known as serranito
is the typical and popular version of fast food.
Typical sweet cakes of this province are polvoron
es and mantecados from the town of Estepa
, a kind of shortcake
made with almonds, sugar
and lard
; pestiños, a honey-coated sweet fritter; torrijas, fried slices of bread with honey; roscos fritos, deep-fried sugar-coated ring doughnuts; magdalenas or fairy cakes; yemas de San Leandro, which provide the city's convent
s with a source of revenue; and tortas de aceite
, a thin sugar-coated cake made with olive oil. Polvorones and mantecados are traditional Christmas products, whereas pestiños and torrijas are typically consumed during the Holy Week
. In any case they can be tasted the round year in cake shops and patisseries.
The Seville oranges that dot the city landscape, too bitter for modern tastes, are commonly used to make marmalade
and lotions; according to legend, the trees were imported when the mosque was constructed in order to provide shade and mask the scent of the medieval city. However, many tourists insist on trying the oranges which taste like sour lemons.
Seville had a strong music scene in the 1970s
and 1980s
with bands like Triana
, Alameda
, Smash
, Guadalquivir
, Gong, Goma, Storm, Nuevos Tiempos... groups influenced by Pink Floyd
, King Crimson
and Jethro Tull
that fused progressive rock with flamenco. In the early 1990s groups like Reincidentes
, Sr Chinarro or singer Kiko Veneno
kept the city's musical scene vibrant. Today many of those groups are still active. The music scene also has a lot of rap groups like SFDK
, Tote King
, La Mala Rodríguez
, Dogma Crew... Seville's music scene is quite diverse and this is reflected in its nightlife.
The city is also home to many theaters and theater spaces where classical music is offered, such as Teatro Lope de Vega, Teatro La Maestranza, Teatro Central, the Real Alcazar Gardens and the Sala Joaquín Turina.
Flamenco and Sevillanas
The sevillana dance, commonly presented as flamenco
, is not thought to be of Sevillan origin. But the folksongs called sevillanas
are authentically Sevillan, as is the four-part dance that goes with them.
Seville, and most significantly the traditionally gypsy neighbourhood, Triana
, was a major centre in the development of flamenco
.
Seville has a wide variety of entertainment to offer all the day, but especially from late evening to the early morning hours. The pleasant climate and the natural sociability of Sevillians lead people to spend most of their spare time outdoors talking, drinking and eating tapas
. The nightclubs and disco-pubs don't fill with crowds before 2:00 am.
The main nightlife attractions are located within and around the city center.
The La Alfalfa neighbourhood houses many pubs and tapas bars. A more alternative atmosphere can be found in La Alameda
, with a frenetic nightlife of entertainment that ranges from traditional flamenco to heavy metal. Another popular area is El Arenal
. Most of the discothèques are found in Betis street in Triana
and in La Cartuja.
During spring and summer, outdoor cocktails bars (known as kioskos) are opened along Paseo de Colón, next to the Guadalquivir
river.
's tomb. The motto of Seville is a visible presence of which any visitor is sure to take note.
The motto is a rebus
, combining the Spanish syllables (NO and DO) and a drawing in between of the figure "8". The figure represents a skein of yarn, or in Spanish, a "madeja". When read aloud, "No madeja do" sounds like "No me ha dejado", which means "It [Seville] has not abandoned me".
The story of how NO8DO came to be the motto of the city has undoubtedly been embellished throughout the centuries, but legend has it that after the conquest
of Seville from the Muslims in 1248, King Ferdinand III of Castile
and León moved his court to the former Muslim
palace, the Alcázar of Seville
.
After San Fernando
's death in the Real Alcázar, his son, Alfonso X assumed the throne. Alfonso X was a scholar king, hence his title. He was a poet, astronomer, astrologer, musician and linguist. Alfonso's son, Sancho IV of Castile
, tried to usurp the throne from his father, but the people of Seville remained loyal to their scholar king and this is where NO8DO was believed to have originated when, according to legend, Alfonso X rewarded the fidelity of the "Sevillanos" with the words that now appear on the official emblem of the city of Seville.
Districts:
–Santa Justa, Seville's major train station, with high-speed links via the AVE
to Madrid
, Córdoba
, and Cadiz
.
–Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
, is home to Sevilla FC
, one of Seville's two top-level soccer teams in the top flight of La Liga
. The area's name is the origin of one of Sevilla FC's nickname Los Nervionenses.
–Nervión Plaza, a commercial shopping complex with many chain stores and a large movie theater with 20 screens.
–El Prado, a gardened zone that serves as a major short-distance bus hub.
–Estación de Cadiz, the lesser of the city's two trains stations. It currently serves as a fresh produce market.
The Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales (School of Business) of the University of Seville
is located in this neighborhood.
Neighborhoods: Nervión, San Bernardo, Huerta del Pilar, La Florida, La Buhaira, La Calzada, San Roque, Ciudad Jardín.
, France
, since 2000 Baler
, Philippines
Barcelona
, Spain
Buenos Aires
, Argentina
Columbus
, United States
Guadalajara
, Mexico
(1977) Havana
, Cuba
Kansas City
, United States
Rabat
, Morocco
Tifariti
, Western Sahara
Ho Chi Minh City
, Vietnam
(2009)
, Triana and others, those further away from the centre, such as Nervión
, Sevilla Este, and El Porvenir have seen recent economic growth. Over the past twenty years, this urban area has seen significant population growth and the development of new industrial and commercial parks.
Due to its size and location, Seville is economically the strongest of the Andalusian cities. The infrastructure available in the city contributes to the growth of an economy dominated by the service sector, but in which industry still holds a considerable place.
in 1992, which saw the economic development of the city and its urban area is supported by good transport links to other Spanish cities, including a high-speed AVE
railway link to Madrid, and a new international airport
.
In addition:
. In April 2008 the city council of Seville provided a grant to renovate the building to create the Science Center
to encourage popular interest in science.
The city of Seville makes a significant contribution to scientific research, as it houses the first and largest DNA bank
in Spain, through the local company Neocodex. Neocodex stores 20,000 DNA samples and is recognised internationally. In addition, Seville is also considered an important technological and research centre for renewable energies and the aeronautics industry.
Through its high-tech centres and its fabric of innovating companies, the Andalusian capital has risen to among the most important Spanish cities in term of development and research. Moreover, the scientific and technological activity of the three Seville universities has to be added, whose certain laboratories and research centres work in close connection with the local socio-economic power. Thus, the Parque Científico Tecnológico Cartuja 93 gathers private and public actors in various fields of research.
The principal innovation and research orientations are telecommunications, new technologies, biotechnologies (in relation to local agricultural specificities), environment and renewable energy.
Seville is served by the TUSSAM (Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla) bus
network which runs buses throughout the city.
Two bus stations serve transport with surrounding areas and other cities: Plaza de Armas station, with destinations towards north and west, and Prado de San Sebastián stations, covering routes to south and east.
On April 2, 2009, the city opened its first metro
line, that runs from the South to the Aljarafe comarca, with stops at San Bernardo transport hub (tram and buses) and Puerta Jerez, gate to city center.
A single tram line runs from San Bernardo to Plaza Nueva at city center. It has stops at Prado de San Sebastián and the Cathedral.
The Santa Justa train station is served by the AVE
high-speed rail
system, and is operated by the Spanish formerly state-owned rail company Renfe
. A five-line commuter rail service (Cercanías) joins the city with the Metropolitan area.
The Sevici
community bicycle program
has integrated bicycles into the public transport network. Across the city, bicycles are available for hire at low cost and green bicycle lanes can be seen on most major streets. This network of lanes (carriles) is also currently being expanded.
Seville Airport is a medium sized international airport that serves the city and surrounding region. Jerez Airport
, in the nearby city of Jerez de la Frontera
, complement the airway services of Seville.
is free, and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. The current education system is called LOGSE (Ley de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo).
, Universidad Pablo de Olavide
(UPO) and the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía are public institutions. Additionally, the Menéndez Pelayo International University
, based in Santander
, operates a branch campus in Seville.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is the capital of the autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
name of the city, Hispalis. The population of the city of Seville was 704,198 as of 2010 (INE
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
), ranking as the fourth largest city of Spain. The population of the metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
(urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,508,605 as of 2010 (INE estimate).
Etymology
Spal is the oldest known name for Seville. It appears to be related to the PhoeniciaPhoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n colonization of the Tartessos
Tartessos
Tartessos or Tartessus was a harbor city and surrounding culture on the south coast of the Iberian peninsula , at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. It appears in sources from Greece and the Near East starting in the middle of the first millennium BC, for example Herodotus, who describes it as...
culture from south-western Iberia, meaning "lowland". During Roman
Hispania Baetica
Hispania Baetica was one of three Imperial Roman provinces in Hispania, . Hispania Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica was part of Al-Andalus under the Moors in the 8th century and approximately corresponds to modern Andalucia...
rule, the name was Latinized as Hispalis. After Moorish invasion, this name evolved to Ishbiliya (Arabic أشبيليّة) due to the phonetic phenomenon called imela, since "p" does not exist in Arabic, and stressed "a" /æ/ turns into "i" /i/. The current Spanish denomination Sevilla come from the Arabic Isbiliya.
Early periods
Seville is more than 2,000 years old. The passage of the various civilizations instrumental in its growth has left the city a distinct personality, and a large and well-preserved historical center. Although it has a strong medieval, renaissance and baroque heritage, the city was greatly influenced by Arabic culture.In mythology, the founder of the city is considered to be Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
. The city was known from Roman times as Hispalis. The nearby Roman city of Italica
Italica
The city of Italica was founded in 206 BC by the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus in order to settle Roman soldiers wounded in the Battle of Ilipa, where the Carthaginian army was defeated during the Second Punic War...
, a mainly residential city at the time, is well-preserved and gives an impression of how Hispalis may have looked in the later Roman period. Important remains also exist in the nearby city of Carmona
Carmona, Spain
Carmona is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Seville; 33 km north-east of Seville.Carmona is built on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalusia, to the north is the Sierra Morena, to the south is the of peak of San Cristobal. The city is known for its thriving trade...
. Existing Roman features in Seville include the remnants of an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
, a temple in Mármoles street and vestiges of the walls surrounding the city that was ordered built by Julius Caesar. A sample of these walls in a state of good preservation can be seen next to the Basilica of the Virgen Macarena.
Following Roman rule, there were successive conquests of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica
Hispania Baetica
Hispania Baetica was one of three Imperial Roman provinces in Hispania, . Hispania Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica was part of Al-Andalus under the Moors in the 8th century and approximately corresponds to modern Andalucia...
by the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
and the Visigoths during the 5th and 6th centuries.
Moorish Era
After the conquestUmayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania is the initial Islamic Ummayad Caliphate's conquest, between 711 and 718, of the Christian Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania, centered in the Iberian Peninsula, which was known to them under the Arabic name al-Andalus....
of Hispalis by the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
in 712, Seville was taken by the Muslims. It was capital for the Kings of the Umayyad Caliphate, the Almoravid dynasty, and the Almohad dynasty (from Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i.e., "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians"), from the 8th to 13th centuries. In 1248 forces of King Fernando III
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
of Castile won victory in Seville's chapter of the peninsula's Catholic Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
(reconquest).
The Moorish urban influences continued and are very present in contemporary Seville, a legacy appreciated by scholars and travelers. However, most of the Moorish aesthetic buildings actually belong to Mudéjar
Mudéjar
Mudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
style, Islamic art developed under Christian rule. Some original elements remain, including public structures, the urban fabric in the historic district, and large sections of the fortified city wall, as well as parts of the Alcázar
Alcázar of Seville
thumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....
and the Cathedral
Seville Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See , better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville . It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world....
, including its bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, the Giralda
Giralda
thumb|right|The Giralda at its various stages of construction: Almohad , Medieval Christian , and Renaissance .The Giralda is a former minaret that was converted to a bell tower for the Cathedral of Seville in Seville...
, built up from the Minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
of the original grand mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. The Alcázar and the Cathedral are both listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
together with the Archivo de Indias
Archivo General de Indias
The Archivo General de Indias , housed in Seville, Spain, in the ancient merchants' exchange, the Casa Lonja de Mercaderes, is the document repository of extremely valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines...
.
Castilian Rule
The city's development continued after the CastilianCrown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
conquest in 1248. Public buildings constructed including churches, many of which were built in Mudéjar
Mudéjar
Mudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
style, and the Seville Cathedral
Seville Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See , better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville . It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world....
, built during the 15th century with Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. The Moors' Palace became the Castilian royal residence, and during Pedro I
Pedro of Castile
Peter , sometimes called "the Cruel" or "the Lawful" , was the king of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. He was the son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Maria of Portugal, daughter of Afonso IV of Portugal...
's rule it was replaced by the Alcázar
Alcázar of Seville
thumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....
(the upper levels are still used by the Royal Family
Spanish Royal Family
The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the current king, Juan Carlos, his spouse, Queen Sofia of Spain and their direct descendants. The Spanish royal family belongs to the House of Borbón...
as the official Seville residence).
In 1391, Archdeacon Ferrant Martinez closed all the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s in Seville, converting them to churches, as in the case of Santa María la Blanca, and also appropriated the Jewish quarter's land and shops (sited in modern-day 'Barrio Santa Cruz'). Thousands were killed during the pogrom
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
, while others were forced to convert
B'nei Anusim
B'nei Anusim is a term, in the plural form, which refers to the children and all later descendents of anusim — "anusim" in turn being a category of Jews in Jewish religious law who were forced or coerced to abandon Judaism against their will, typically whilst force converted to another...
. The Plaza de San Francisco was the site of the 'autos de fé'. At first, the activity of the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
was limited to the dioceses of Seville and Cordoba, where Alonso de Hojeda had detected converso activity. The first Auto de Fé
Auto-da-fé
An auto-da-fé was the ritual of public penance of condemned heretics and apostates that took place when the Spanish Inquisition or the Portuguese Inquisition had decided their punishment, followed by the execution by the civil authorities of the sentences imposed...
took place in Seville on 6 February 1481, when six people were burned alive. Alonso de Hojeda himself gave the sermon. The Inquisition then grew rapidly. By 1492, tribunals existed in eight Castilian cities: Ávila, Cordoba, Jaén, Medina del Campo, Segovia, Sigüenza, Toledo and Valladolid.
The Golden Age
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
expedition to the New World
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
(from Palos de la Frontera's port), the results from his claiming territory and trade for the Crown of Castile (incipient Spain) in the West Indies began to profit the city, as all goods imported from the New World had to pass through the Casa de Contratacion
Casa de Contratación
La Casa de Contratación was a government agency under the Spanish Empire, existing from the 16th to the 18th centuries, which attempted to control all Spanish exploration and colonization...
before being distributed throughout the rest of Spain. A 'golden age of development' commenced in Seville, due to its being the only port awarded the royal monopoly for trade with the growing Spanish colonies in the Americas
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
and the influx of riches from them. Since only sailing ships
Winds in the Age of Sail
Winds in the Age of Sail: The captain of a steam ship naturally chooses the shortest route to his destination. Since a sailing ship is pushed by the winds and currents its captain must find a route where the wind will probably blow in the right direction. Tacking was always possible but wasted...
leaving from and returning to the inland port of Seville could engage in trade with the Spanish Americas
European colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
, merchants from Europe and other trade centers needed to go to Seville to acquire New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
trade goods. The city's population grew to nearly a million people in the first hundred years after Columbus.
In the late 16th century the monopoly was broken, with the port of Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
also authorized as a port of trade. The Great Plague of Seville
Great Plague of Seville
The Great Plague of Seville was a massive outbreak of disease in Spain that killed up to a quarter of Seville's population.Unlike the plague of 1596–1602 which claimed 600,000 to 700,000 lives, or a little under 8% of the population, and initially struck northern and central Spain and Andalusía in...
in 1649 reduced the population by almost half, and it would not recover until the early 19th century. By the 18th century its international importance was in decline. After the silting up of the harbor by the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
(river) upriver shipping ceased and the city went into relative economic decline. Seville's development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was characterised by population growth and increasing industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
, unlike the rest of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
.
Civil War
Seville fell very quickly at the beginning of the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in 1936. General Queipo de Llano carried out a coup within the city, quickly capturing the city centre. Radio Seville opposed the uprising and called for the peasants to come to the city for arms, while worker's groups established barricades. De Llano then moved to capture Radio Seville, which he used to broadcast propaganda on behalf of the Francoist forces. After the initial takeover of the city, resistance continued amongst the working-class areas for some time, until a series of fierce reprisals took place.
Main sights
The AlcázarAlcázar of Seville
thumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....
, the Cathedral
Seville Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See , better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville . It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world....
, and the Archivo General de Indias
Archivo General de Indias
The Archivo General de Indias , housed in Seville, Spain, in the ancient merchants' exchange, the Casa Lonja de Mercaderes, is the document repository of extremely valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines...
(General Archive of the Indies) are a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Landmarks
- The city's CathedralSeville CathedralThe Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See , better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville . It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world....
was built from 1401–1519 after the ReconquistaReconquistaThe Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
on the former site of the city's mosqueMosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. It is amongst the largest of all medieval and GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
cathedrals, in terms of both area and volume. The interior is the longest naveNaveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
in Spain, and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of goldGoldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
evident. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the GiraldaGiraldathumb|right|The Giralda at its various stages of construction: Almohad , Medieval Christian , and Renaissance .The Giralda is a former minaret that was converted to a bell tower for the Cathedral of Seville in Seville...
, originally a minaretMinaretA minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
, was converted into a bell towerBell towerA bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. It is topped with a statue, known locally as El Giraldillo, representing FaithFaithFaith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the MuezzinMuezzinA muezzin , or muzim, is the chosen person at a mosque who leads the call to prayer at Friday services and the five daily times for prayer from one of the mosque's minarets; in most modern mosques, electronic amplification aids the muezzin in his task.The professional muezzin is chosen for his...
and others to ride on horseback to the top. - The AlcázarAlcázar of Sevillethumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....
facing the cathedral was developed from a previous Moorish PalacePalaceA palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
. Construction was started in 1181 and continued for over 500 years, mainly in the MudéjarMudéjarMudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
style, but also in the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style. Its gardens are a blend of MoorishIslamic gardenTraditionally, an Islamic garden is a cool place of rest and reflection, and a reminder of paradise. The Qur'an has many references to gardens, and the garden is used as an earthly analogue for the life in paradise which is promised to believers:...
, Renaissance, and English traditions. - The Torre del OroTorre del OroThe Torre del Oro is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain, built by the Almohad dynasty in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river....
was built by the Almohad dynasty as a watchtowerWatchtowerA watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military, and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may...
and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port. - The Town Hall was built in the 16th century in high PlateresquePlateresquePlateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" , was an artistic movement, especially architectural, traditionally held to be exclusive to Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance in the late 15th century, and spread over the next two centuries...
style by master architect Diego de RiañoDiego de RiañoDiego de Riaño was a Spanish architect of the Renaissance. He was one of the most outstanding architects of the Plateresque style....
. The Facade to Plaza Nueva was built in the 19th century in NeoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style. - The Palace of San TelmoPalace of San TelmoThe Palace of San Telmo is a historical edifice in Seville, southern Spain, now the seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government. Construction of the building began in 1682 outside the walls of the city, on property belonging to the Tribunal of the Holy Office, the institution...
, formerly the University of Sailors, and later the Seminary, is now the seat for the Andalusian Autonomous GovernmentAndalusian Autonomous GovernmentThe Andalusian Autonomous Government is the regional government body of Andalusia, one of the 17 autonomous communities which make up Spain...
. It is one of the most emblematic buildings of baroque architectureBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
, mainly to its world-renowned churrigueresqueChurrigueresqueChurrigueresque refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 17th century and was used up to about 1750, marked by extreme, expressive and florid decorative detailing, normally found above the...
principal facade and the impressive chapel. - The University of SevilleUniversity of SevilleThe Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, in English, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country...
is housed on the original site of the first tobacco factory in Europe, La Antigua Fábrica de Tabacos, a vast 18th century building in BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style and the purported inspiration for the opera Carmen. - The Plaza de EspañaPlaza de España (Seville)The Plaza de España is a plaza located in the Parque de María Luisa , in Seville, Spain built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929...
, in Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa), was built by the architect Aníbal González for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-AmericanaIbero-American Exposition of 1929The Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 was a world's fair held in Seville, Spain, from the 9th of May 1929 until the 21st of June 1930. Countries in attendance of the exposition included: Portugal, The United States, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, the Republic of Colombia, Cuba,...
. It is an outstanding example of Regionalist Revival Architecture, a bizarre and loftily conceived mixture of diverse historic styles, such as Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and Neo-MudéjarNeo-MudéjarThe Neo-Mudéjar is an architectural movement which originated in Spain and emerged as a revival of the Mudéjar architecture. It appeared in the late 19th century in Madrid, and soon spread to other regions of the country. Such architects as Emilio Rodríguez Ayuso perceived the Mudéjar art as...
and lavishly ornamented with typical glazed tiles. - The Metropol Parasol, in La Encarnación square, is a monumental umbrella-like building designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer, finished in 2011. This modern architecture structure houses the central market and an underground archaeological complex. The terrace roof is a city viewpoint.
- The Hotel Alfonso XIIIHotel Alfonso XIIIHotel Alfonso XIII is a historic hotel in Seville, Spain, located on the Calle San Fernando, next to the University of Seville. Designed by the architect José Espiau y Muñoz, it was built between 1916 and 1928 especially for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929...
, next to the University, is one of the famous buildings of architect José Espiau y Muñoz. It was built between 1916 and 1928 especially for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929Ibero-American Exposition of 1929The Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 was a world's fair held in Seville, Spain, from the 9th of May 1929 until the 21st of June 1930. Countries in attendance of the exposition included: Portugal, The United States, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, the Republic of Colombia, Cuba,...
, when it was officially inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII.
The neighbourhood of Triana
Triana, Seville
Triana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
, situated on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River, played an important role in the history of the city and constitutes by itself a folk, monumental and cultural center.
On the other hand, at the northern side of the city center is found the La Macarena
Macarena, Seville
La Macarena is the traditional and historical name of the area of Seville located north of the city center. Nowadays, La Macarena is the name of the neighborhood placed on both sides of the north city wall, but also a much bigger administrative district of Seville. - Etymology of the toponym...
neighbourhood, with some religious and monumental remarks, such as the Museum and Basilica of La Macarena or the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas
Hospital de las Cinco Llagas
El Hospital de las Cinco Llagas in Seville, Spain is the current seat of the Parliament of Andalusia....
.
Museums
The most important art collection of Seville is the Museum of Fine Arts of SevilleMuseum of Fine Arts of Seville
The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville or Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla is a museum in Seville, Spain, a collection of mainly Spanish visual arts from medieval period to the early 20th century, including a choice selection of works from the so-called Golden Age of Sevillian painting during the 17th...
. It was established in 1835 in the former Convent of La Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo
Bartolomé Estéban Murillo
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children...
, Pacheco
Francisco Pacheco
Francisco Pacheco was a Spanish painter, best known as the teacher of Diego Velázquez and Alonso Cano, and for his textbook on painting that is an important source for the study of 17th-century practice in Spain...
, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Baroque Sevillian School, containing also Flemish paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Other remarkable museums in Seville are:
- The Archaeological MuseumArcheological Museum of SevilleThe Archeological Museum of Seville is a museum in Seville, southern Spain, housed in the Pabellón del Renacimiento, one of the pavilions designed by the architect Aníbal González...
, which contains collections from the TartessianTartessosTartessos or Tartessus was a harbor city and surrounding culture on the south coast of the Iberian peninsula , at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. It appears in sources from Greece and the Near East starting in the middle of the first millennium BC, for example Herodotus, who describes it as...
and RomanHispania BaeticaHispania Baetica was one of three Imperial Roman provinces in Hispania, . Hispania Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica was part of Al-Andalus under the Moors in the 8th century and approximately corresponds to modern Andalucia...
periods, placed in América square at María Luisa Park. - The Museum of Arts and TraditionsMuseum of Arts and Traditions of SevillaThe Museum of Arts and Traditions of Sevilla is a museum in Seville, Andalusia, Spain, located in the María Luisa Park, across the Plaza de América from the Provincial Archeological Museum. The museum had 84,496 visitors in 2007.-History:...
, also in América square, in front of the Archaeological museum. - The Andalusian Contemporary Art Center, placed in La Cartuja.
- The Naval Museum, housed in the Torre del OroTorre del OroThe Torre del Oro is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain, built by the Almohad dynasty in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river....
, next to the GuadalquivirGuadalquivirThe Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
river. - The Carriages Museum, in Los RemediosLos RemediosLos Remedios is a neighborhood of Seville, located on the Isle of Cartuja, south of the ancient neighborhood of Triana. It derives its name from a Carmelite convent of the same name found in that area...
neighbourhood. - The FlamencoFlamencoFlamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
Art Museum, in Manuel Rojas Marcos street. - The BullfightBullfightingBullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
Museum, in La Maestranza bullringPlaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de SevillaThe Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla is the oldest bullring in Spain. It is the site of the annual Feria de Abril in Seville, one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals in the world.... - The Palace of the Countess of LebrijaPalace of the Countess of LebrijaThe Lebrija Palace or el Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija can be found in one of Seville city centre’s busiest street, ‘Calle Cuna’, parallel to the famous Calle Sierpes. Dating from the 16th Century, it is considered one of the best residences in Seville...
, a private collection that contains many of the mosaic floors discovered in the nearby Roman town of ItalicaItalicaThe city of Italica was founded in 206 BC by the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus in order to settle Roman soldiers wounded in the Battle of Ilipa, where the Carthaginian army was defeated during the Second Punic War...
. - The "Centro Velázquez" (Velázquez Center) located at the Old Priests Hospital in the turistic Santa CruzSanta Cruz, SevilleSanta Cruz, is the primary tourist neighborhood of Seville, Spain, and the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city. Santa Cruz is bordered by the Jardines de Murillo, the Real Alcázar, Calle Mateas Gago, and Calle Santa Maria La Blanca/San José...
neighbourhood. - The Antiquarium at Metropol Parasol, an underground museum that exhibits in situ Roman and Muslim remains.
- The Castillo de San Jorge (Castle of St. George) remains, below the Triana market, next to Isabel II bridge. It was the last seat for the Spanish InquisitionSpanish InquisitionThe Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
. - The Museum and Treasure of La Macarena, where the patrimony of the Macarena brotherhood is exposed. This exhibition gives to the visitor an accurate impression about what is the Seville Holy WeekHoly Week in SevilleHoly Week in Seville is one of the most important traditional events of the city. It is celebrated in the week leading up to Easter , and is one of the better known religious events within Spain...
.
In the future the pottery museum is planned to be placed in Triana neighbourhood, at the west bank of the river.
Parks and gardens
- The Parque de María Luisa (María Luisa Park), a monumental park built for the 1929 World's FairWorld's FairWorld's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
held in Seville, the Exposición Ibero-AmericanaIbero-American Exposition of 1929The Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 was a world's fair held in Seville, Spain, from the 9th of May 1929 until the 21st of June 1930. Countries in attendance of the exposition included: Portugal, The United States, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, the Republic of Colombia, Cuba,...
. The so-called Jardines de las Delicias (literally, Delighting Gardens), closer to the river, are part of the Parque de María Luisa. - The Alcázar Gardens, within the AlcázarAlcázar of Sevillethumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....
palace. It is constituted by different sectors developed in different historical styles. A Reinaissance terrace garden heads the space from the Gothic part of the palace, whereas the outermost part is an English style garden. Areas closest to the MudéjarMudéjarMudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
buildings were kept in MoorishIslamic gardenTraditionally, an Islamic garden is a cool place of rest and reflection, and a reminder of paradise. The Qur'an has many references to gardens, and the garden is used as an earthly analogue for the life in paradise which is promised to believers:...
style. - The Gardens of Murillo and the Gardens of Catalina de Ribera, both along and outside the South wall of the Alcázar, next to Santa Cruz quarter. They were developed from parts of the Alcazar garden after transferred to the City. The look of the gardens is due to an improvement at the beginning of 20th century, following classic gardening styles with predominant Moorish RevivalMoorish RevivalMoorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
influence. - The Parque del Alamillo y San Jerónimo, the largest park of Andalusia, originally built in 1992 for the Seville Expo '92Seville Expo '92The Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
reproducing the Andalusian native flora. It spans both GuadalquivirGuadalquivirThe Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
shores around the San Jerónimo meanderMeanderA meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
. The impressive 32 meters high bronze sculpture "Birth of the New World" (popularly known as Columbus's Egg, el Huevo de Colón), made by the Georgian sculptor Zurab TsereteliZurab TsereteliZurab Konstantines dze Tsereteli is a Georgian-Russian painter, sculptor and architect who holds the office of President of the Russian Academy of Arts.- Life :...
, is placed in its northwestern sector. - The American Garden, also completed for the 1992 world Expo of SevilleSeville Expo '92The Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
, in La CartujaLa CartujaIsla de la Cartuja is an island in the Guadalquivir River at Seville, Spain.The island's name derives from the cloistered monastery located on the site, the Monasterio de Santa María de las Cuevas...
. It is a public botanical garden, with a representative collection of American plants donated by different countries on the occasion of the world exposition. A shadehouse, and cactus and palms collections are the best marks of the garden.
Although it is not properly a park, most the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
shores constitute a linear string of parks and green areas from Isabel II bridge to the Parque del Alamillo. The Chapina green, between Plaza de Armas bus station and Isabel II bridge, offers a nice view of Triana
Triana, Seville
Triana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
neighbourhood old quarter, and it is a popular zone for resting and sunbathing. La Cartuja
La Cartuja
Isla de la Cartuja is an island in the Guadalquivir River at Seville, Spain.The island's name derives from the cloistered monastery located on the site, the Monasterio de Santa María de las Cuevas...
rivershore has a well-developed shady river forest, panoramic piers, and floating walkways.
Other prominent parks and gardens include:
- Jardines de Cristina, RomanticRomanticismRomanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
gardens built at 1830 in Puerta Jerez, close to the Cathedral and Alcázar, named after the Fernando VII's second wife María CristinaMaria Christina of the Two SiciliesMaria Christina of the Two Sicilies was Queen consort of Spain and Regent of Spain .-Early years and first marriage:...
. After 2011 restoration, they are dedicated to the Generation of '27Generation of '27The Generation of '27 was an influential group of poets that arose in Spanish literary circles between 1923 and 1927, essentially out of a shared desire to experience and work with avant-garde forms of art and poetry. Their first formal meeting took place in Seville in 1927 to mark the 300th...
poets. - Parque de los Príncipes, second oldest park of the city built in 1973, in Los RemediosLos RemediosLos Remedios is a neighborhood of Seville, located on the Isle of Cartuja, south of the ancient neighborhood of Triana. It derives its name from a Carmelite convent of the same name found in that area...
neighbourhood. - Parque de Miraflores, second largest park of Seville, at the NE side of the city. It houses an area of traditional vegetable gardens, and several farming buildings dated from Roman and Moorish ages.
- Jardines de la Buhaira, in NerviónNervión, SevilleNervión is a large, modern neighborhood in the eastern zone of Seville, Spain. The neighborhood is an important commercial district of the city, where much of the regional capital's business takes place. The population is 16,129 inhabitants...
neighbourhood. It was modified at the end of 20th century, inspired in traditional farming gardening. The irrigation channels and the reservoir are original Moorish remains. - Jardines del Valle, at NE side of the city center. Developed from the vegetable gardens of an old monastery. Here it is found a well-preserved stretch of the AlmohadAlmohadThe Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
City Wall. - Jardines del Guadalquivir, in La CartujaLa CartujaIsla de la Cartuja is an island in the Guadalquivir River at Seville, Spain.The island's name derives from the cloistered monastery located on the site, the Monasterio de Santa María de las Cuevas...
a modern-art garden built for Expo '92Seville Expo '92The Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
within the exhibition site as resting area. - Isla MágicaIsla MágicaIsla Mágica is a theme park in Seville, Spain. The park was constructed on the former grounds of the Expo '92 World's Fair in Seville and opened in 1997...
, Cartuja Island, a theme park just to the west of Seville built on the site of Seville Expo '92Seville Expo '92The Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
.
Climate
Seville has a hot-summer Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Csa), with Semi-arid climate (BSh) influences. The annual average temperature is 18.6 °C (65 °F).
- After the neighbouring city of CordobaCórdoba, Spain-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
, Seville has the warmest summer in the European continent (among all cities with a population over 100,000 people), with average daily highs in July of 35.3 °C (96 °F). Average minimum temperatures in July are 19.4 °C (67 °F) and every year the temperature exceeds 40 °C (104 °F) on several occasions. The extremes of temperature registered by the weather station at Seville Airport are -5.5 C on 12 February 1956, and 46.6 °C (116 °F) on 23 July 1995. There is a non-accredited record by the National Institute of Meteorology which is 47.2 °C (117 °F) on 1 August during the 2003 heat wave2003 European heat waveThe 2003 European heat wave was the hottest summer on record in Europe since at least 1540. France was hit especially hard. The heat wave led to health crises in several countries and combined with drought to create a crop shortfall in Southern Europe...
, according to a weather station (83910 LEZL) located in the southern part of Seville Airport, near the abandoned military zone. This temperature would be one of the highest ever recorded in Spain and Europe after the European (unofficial) record of 48.5 °C (119 °F) recorded at CatenanuovaCatenanuovaCatenanuova is a town and comune in the province of Enna, in the region of Sicily in southern Italy. It belongs to the Diocese of Nicosia.-Geography:...
on 10/08/1999. - Winters are mild: January is the coolest month, with average maximum temperatures of 15.9 °C (61 °F) and minimum of 5.2 °C (41 °F).
- PrecipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
varies from 600 to 800 mm (23.5–31.5 in) per year, concentrated in the period October to April. December is the wettest month, with an average rainfall of 95 millimetres (4 in). On average there are 52 days of rain, 120.75 days of sun and four days of frost per year. - Average number of days above 32 °C (90 °F) is 88, average number of days below 0 °C (32 °F) is 6. Average morning relative humidityRelative humidityRelative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
: 84%, average evening relative humidity: 46%.
Festivals
The Semana Santa (Holy Week)Holy Week in Seville
Holy Week in Seville is one of the most important traditional events of the city. It is celebrated in the week leading up to Easter , and is one of the better known religious events within Spain...
and the Feria de Sevilla (Seville Fair)
Seville Fair
The Seville Fair is held in the Andalusian capital of Seville, Spain. The fair generally begins two weeks after the Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week....
, also known as Feria de Abril (April Fair), are the two most well-known of Seville's festivals. Seville is internationally renowned for the solemn but beautiful processions during Holy Week
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
and the colourful and lively fair held two weeks after. During Feria, families, businesses and organizations set up casetas (marquees) in which they spend the week dancing, drinking, and socializing. Traditionally, women wear elaborate flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dresses and men dress in their best suits. The marquees are set up on a permanent fairground in which each street is named after a famous bullfighter.
Gastronomy
Seville is a gastronomic centre, with a cuisine based on the products of the surrounding provinces, including seafood from CádizCádiz (province)
Cádiz is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe....
and Huelva
Huelva (province)
Huelva is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by Portugal, the provinces of Badajoz, Seville, and Cádiz, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Huelva....
, olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
from Jaén, and sherry
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
from Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
.
The tapas
Tapas
Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm ....
scene is one of the main cultural attractions of the city: people go from one bar to another, enjoying small dishes called tapas (literally "lids" or "covers" in Spanish, referring to their probable origin as snacks served in small plates used to cover drinks.)
Local specialities include fried and grilled seafood (including squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, choco (cuttlefish
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda . Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs....
), swordfish
Swordfish
Swordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...
, marinated dogfish
Squalidae
Squalidae is the family of dogfish sharks. They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, from tropical equatorial climates to the Arctic and Antarctic....
, and ortiguillas), grilled and stewed meat, spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
with chickpeas, Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico...
, lamb kidneys in sherry sauce, snails, caldo de puchero
Puchero
Puchero is a type of stew prepared in Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, the Philippines, and Spain, specifically the autonomous communities of Andalusia and the Canary Islands. The name comes from the Spanish word "puchero" which means "stewpot."...
, and gazpacho
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold Spanish/Portuguese tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalucía. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal and parts of Latin America...
. A sandwich known as serranito
Serranito
A serranito is a warm sandwich prepared in Andalusia, quite popular in Seville. It is the Andalusian traditional cuisine version of the fast food....
is the typical and popular version of fast food.
Typical sweet cakes of this province are polvoron
Polvorón
A polvorón is a type of heavy, soft and very crumbly Spanish shortbread made of flour, sugar, milk, and nuts. They are produced mostly in Andalusia, where there are about 70 factories in that are part of a syndicate that produces polvorones and mantecados...
es and mantecados from the town of Estepa
Estepa
Estepa is a municipality in the extreme south-east of the province of Seville. Its population was 12,397 inhabitants in 2007. The town is located north of the Sierra del Becerro mountains.-History:...
, a kind of shortcake
Shortcake
Shortcake is a sweet biscuit .Shortcake is typically made with flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, salt, butter, milk or cream, and sometimes eggs. The dry ingredients are blended, and then the butter is cut in and mixed until the mixture resembles cornmeal...
made with almonds, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and lard
Lard
Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening, or as a spread similar to butter. Its use in contemporary cuisine has diminished because of health concerns posed by its saturated-fat content and its often negative...
; pestiños, a honey-coated sweet fritter; torrijas, fried slices of bread with honey; roscos fritos, deep-fried sugar-coated ring doughnuts; magdalenas or fairy cakes; yemas de San Leandro, which provide the city's convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s with a source of revenue; and tortas de aceite
Tortas de Aceite
The Torta de Aceite, is a light, crisp and flaky Sevillian sweet biscuit in the shape of a torta, the Spanish flatbread. Tortas de aceite have been made for over 100 years in the Seville region....
, a thin sugar-coated cake made with olive oil. Polvorones and mantecados are traditional Christmas products, whereas pestiños and torrijas are typically consumed during the Holy Week
Holy Week in Seville
Holy Week in Seville is one of the most important traditional events of the city. It is celebrated in the week leading up to Easter , and is one of the better known religious events within Spain...
. In any case they can be tasted the round year in cake shops and patisseries.
The Seville oranges that dot the city landscape, too bitter for modern tastes, are commonly used to make marmalade
Marmalade
Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the "Seville orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var...
and lotions; according to legend, the trees were imported when the mosque was constructed in order to provide shade and mask the scent of the medieval city. However, many tourists insist on trying the oranges which taste like sour lemons.
Music
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
and 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
with bands like Triana
Triana (band)
Triana was a Spanish progressive rock band from the 70's and early 80's, heavily influenced by flamenco, hailing from Andalusia. It was composed of Jesús de la Rosa Luque , Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway and Juan José Palacios "Tele" .-History:The main goal of the band was to...
, Alameda
Alameda (band)
Alameda were a Spanish Jazz fusion band active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, re-united in 1994.-External links:* at *...
, Smash
Smash (band)
Smash are a punk rock trio who enjoyed brief notoriety in the early 1990s in the UK. Smash was formed by Ed Borrie , Salvatore Alessi , and Rob Hague in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, England.-Career:The band's sound recalled the late 1970s and early 1980s punk and New Wave bands...
, Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
, Gong, Goma, Storm, Nuevos Tiempos... groups influenced by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
and Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
that fused progressive rock with flamenco. In the early 1990s groups like Reincidentes
Reincidentes
-Members:*Manuel J. Pizarro Fernández: drums.*Fernando Madina Pepper: bass and vocals.*Juan M. Rodríguez Barea: guitar and vocals.*Finito de Badajoz: guitar and vocals.-Discography:*Reincidentes. Discos Trilita, 1989, reedited by Discos Suicidas....
, Sr Chinarro or singer Kiko Veneno
Kiko Veneno
José María López Sanfeliu born in Figueres, Girona is a Spanish musician better known by his stage name Kiko Veneno-Biography:...
kept the city's musical scene vibrant. Today many of those groups are still active. The music scene also has a lot of rap groups like SFDK
SFDK
SFDK is a Spanish hip-hop group, founded in Seville in 1993. The name of the group is an acronym itself, whose meaning was, in the beginning, Straight From Da Kranny . However, later on, this derived in the new meaning Siempre Fuertes de Konciencia , which was more suitable for a group formed in...
, Tote King
Tote King
Tote King is the stage name of a noted hip hop emcee from Sevilla, Spain.-Albums:* Musica para enfermos* Un tipo cualquiera* T.O.T.E.* El lado oscuro de Gandhi-References:...
, La Mala Rodríguez
La Mala Rodríguez
María Rodríguez, also known as La Mala, La Mala María, or Mala Rodríguez , is a Latin Grammy Award-Winning Spanish hip hop singer.-Early life:...
, Dogma Crew... Seville's music scene is quite diverse and this is reflected in its nightlife.
The city is also home to many theaters and theater spaces where classical music is offered, such as Teatro Lope de Vega, Teatro La Maestranza, Teatro Central, the Real Alcazar Gardens and the Sala Joaquín Turina.
Flamenco and Sevillanas
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
, is not thought to be of Sevillan origin. But the folksongs called sevillanas
Sevillanas
Sevillanas are a type of folk music, sung and written in Seville in Spain. Historically, they are a derivative of Castilian folk music . They have a relatively limited musical pattern, but rich lyrics, based on country side life, virgins, towns, neighborhoods, pilgrimage, and love themes...
are authentically Sevillan, as is the four-part dance that goes with them.
Seville, and most significantly the traditionally gypsy neighbourhood, Triana
Triana, Seville
Triana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
, was a major centre in the development of flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
.
Nightlife
Seville has a wide variety of entertainment to offer all the day, but especially from late evening to the early morning hours. The pleasant climate and the natural sociability of Sevillians lead people to spend most of their spare time outdoors talking, drinking and eating tapas
Tapas
Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm ....
. The nightclubs and disco-pubs don't fill with crowds before 2:00 am.
The main nightlife attractions are located within and around the city center.
The La Alfalfa neighbourhood houses many pubs and tapas bars. A more alternative atmosphere can be found in La Alameda
La Alameda, Seville
The Alameda de Hércules , or simply La Alameda, is a square in Seville, southern Spain. It was in origin a promenaded public garden built in 1574, named after the eight rows of white poplars trees that fill its central part...
, with a frenetic nightlife of entertainment that ranges from traditional flamenco to heavy metal. Another popular area is El Arenal
El Arenal, Seville
El Arenal is a neighborhood in the historical center of Seville, lying between the Guadalquivir and the old Jewish Quarter, Santa Cruz, to the east. Its name comes from the sandy nature that this east bank of the river once used to have...
. Most of the discothèques are found in Betis street in Triana
Triana, Seville
Triana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
and in La Cartuja.
During spring and summer, outdoor cocktails bars (known as kioskos) are opened along Paseo de Colón, next to the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
river.
Motto
"NO8DO" is the official motto and the subject of one of the many legends of Seville. The legend has left its very tangible mark throughout the city as NO8DO can be seen on landmarks ranging from the common bike rack, the caps of the municipal sewer and water system, ordinary sidewalks, buses, taxis, monuments, even Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
's tomb. The motto of Seville is a visible presence of which any visitor is sure to take note.
The motto is a rebus
Rebus
A rebus is an allusional device that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. It was a favourite form of heraldic expression used in the Middle Ages to denote surnames, for example in its basic form 3 salmon fish to denote the name "Salmon"...
, combining the Spanish syllables (NO and DO) and a drawing in between of the figure "8". The figure represents a skein of yarn, or in Spanish, a "madeja". When read aloud, "No madeja do" sounds like "No me ha dejado", which means "It [Seville] has not abandoned me".
The story of how NO8DO came to be the motto of the city has undoubtedly been embellished throughout the centuries, but legend has it that after the conquest
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
of Seville from the Muslims in 1248, King Ferdinand III of Castile
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
and León moved his court to the former Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
palace, the Alcázar of Seville
Alcázar of Seville
thumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....
.
After San Fernando
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
's death in the Real Alcázar, his son, Alfonso X assumed the throne. Alfonso X was a scholar king, hence his title. He was a poet, astronomer, astrologer, musician and linguist. Alfonso's son, Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
, tried to usurp the throne from his father, but the people of Seville remained loyal to their scholar king and this is where NO8DO was believed to have originated when, according to legend, Alfonso X rewarded the fidelity of the "Sevillanos" with the words that now appear on the official emblem of the city of Seville.
Neighborhoods
Seville has 11 districts and 108 neighborhoods.Districts:
- Casco Antiguo: It's the central area of Seville where the main shops and the principal tourist attractions of the city are located, which include: The cathedral, the AlcázarAlcázar of Sevillethumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....
, the Torre del OroTorre del OroThe Torre del Oro is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain, built by the Almohad dynasty in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river....
, the Town Hall, the Palace of San TelmoPalace of San TelmoThe Palace of San Telmo is a historical edifice in Seville, southern Spain, now the seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government. Construction of the building began in 1682 outside the walls of the city, on property belonging to the Tribunal of the Holy Office, the institution...
, the University of SevilleUniversity of SevilleThe Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, in English, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country...
, the Metropol Parasol. It has a population of 56,206 inhabitants. Neighborhoods: El ArenalEl Arenal, SevilleEl Arenal is a neighborhood in the historical center of Seville, lying between the Guadalquivir and the old Jewish Quarter, Santa Cruz, to the east. Its name comes from the sandy nature that this east bank of the river once used to have...
, Encarnación-Regina, Alfalfa, San Bartolomé, San Lorenzo, San Gil, Museo, Santa Catalina, Santa CruzSanta Cruz, SevilleSanta Cruz, is the primary tourist neighborhood of Seville, Spain, and the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city. Santa Cruz is bordered by the Jardines de Murillo, the Real Alcázar, Calle Mateas Gago, and Calle Santa Maria La Blanca/San José...
, Feria, San Julián, San Vicente. - Distrito Sur: This district is notable for the presence of the Plaza de EspañaPlaza de España (Seville)The Plaza de España is a plaza located in the Parque de María Luisa , in Seville, Spain built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929...
, the Parque de María Luisa, Seville's Archaeological Museum, the Prado de San Sebastian and the Traditional Arts and Customs Museum. It has a population of 75,620 inhabitants. Neighborhoods: El Prado-Parque de María Luisa, Huerta de la Salud, El Porvenir, Giralda Sur, El Plantinar, Felipe II-Los Diez Mandamientos, Tabladilla-La Estrella, Bami, Tiro de Línea-Santa Genoveva, La Oliva, Avenida de la Paz, El Juncal-Híspalis, Las Letanías, Polígono Sur.
- TrianaTriana, SevilleTriana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
: Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the GuadalquivirGuadalquivirThe Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
, narrowly linked to the mainland in the north. Betis street contains many of the city's most popular discotecas. It also offers what might be considered the best panoramic view of Seville's city center. At the top of the district is the Monastery of La CartujaLa CartujaIsla de la Cartuja is an island in the Guadalquivir River at Seville, Spain.The island's name derives from the cloistered monastery located on the site, the Monasterio de Santa María de las Cuevas...
, the Isla MágicaIsla MágicaIsla Mágica is a theme park in Seville, Spain. The park was constructed on the former grounds of the Expo '92 World's Fair in Seville and opened in 1997...
amusement park, the site of Expo 92Seville Expo '92The Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
, the Cartuja Park, university faculties, various clubs, the Olympic Stadium, and the spectacular Barcelo Renacimiento hotel. Presently the Cajasol TowerCajasol TowerThe Cajasol Tower is an office skyscraper under construction in Seville, Spain, that is being build under the masterplan of Puerto Triana. The tower started its construction on March 2008 and it is expected to be finished the first trimester of 2013. The tower will have a height of 180.5 metres ...
is being built. It will stand 178 meters high and will be completed in 2013. Triana has a population of 52.401 inhabitants. Neighborhoods: Triana Casco Antiguo, Barrio León, El Tardón-El Carmen, Triana Este, Triana Oeste. - MacarenaMacarena, SevilleLa Macarena is the traditional and historical name of the area of Seville located north of the city center. Nowadays, La Macarena is the name of the neighborhood placed on both sides of the north city wall, but also a much bigger administrative district of Seville. - Etymology of the toponym...
: It's the traditional and historical name of the area of Seville located north of the city center. Nowadays, La Macarena is the name of the neighborhood placed on both sides of the north city wall, but also a much bigger administrative district of Seville. Attractions: The Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza Macarena, the Córdoba Gate and the Parliament of AndalusiaParliament of AndalusiaThe Andalusian Parliament is the legislature of the Spanish Autonomous Community of Andalusia instituted by the Andalusian Charter of Autonomy of 1981. It is elected by the residents in Andalusia every four years...
. Neighborhoods: Santa María de Ordas-San Nicolás, Pío XII, La Barzola, El Carmen, Cruz Roja-Capuchinos, Villegas, Santas Justa y Rufina-Parque Miraflores, Los Príncipes-La Fontanilla, Begoña-Santa Catalina, Polígono Norte, La Paz-Las Golondrinas, La Palmilla-Doctor Marañón, Hermandades-La Carrasca, Macarena 3 Huertas-Macarena 5, El Torrejón, El Cerezo, Doctor Barraquer-Grupo Renfe-Policlínico, Retiro Obrero, Cisneo Alto-Santa María de Gracia, Campos de Soria, León XIII-Los Naranjos, El Rocío, Pino Flores, Las Avenidas.
- NerviónNervión, SevilleNervión is a large, modern neighborhood in the eastern zone of Seville, Spain. The neighborhood is an important commercial district of the city, where much of the regional capital's business takes place. The population is 16,129 inhabitants...
: It's a large, modern neighborhood in the eastern zone of Seville. The neighborhood is an important commercial district of the city, where much of the regional capital's business takes place. The population is 16,129 inhabitants.[1] It is the second focal point of the city, and is home to a number of important sites:
–Santa Justa, Seville's major train station, with high-speed links via the AVE
AVE
Alta Velocidad Española is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".AVE trains run on a network of...
to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
, and Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
.
–Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is a stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla Fútbol Club. It was the venue for the 1986 European Cup Final between Steaua Bucureşti and Barcelona and the 1982 World Cup semi-final game between Germany and France.This stadium contains a singular...
, is home to Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
, one of Seville's two top-level soccer teams in the top flight of La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
. The area's name is the origin of one of Sevilla FC's nickname Los Nervionenses.
–Nervión Plaza, a commercial shopping complex with many chain stores and a large movie theater with 20 screens.
–El Prado, a gardened zone that serves as a major short-distance bus hub.
–Estación de Cadiz, the lesser of the city's two trains stations. It currently serves as a fresh produce market.
The Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales (School of Business) of the University of Seville
University of Seville
The Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, in English, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country...
is located in this neighborhood.
Neighborhoods: Nervión, San Bernardo, Huerta del Pilar, La Florida, La Buhaira, La Calzada, San Roque, Ciudad Jardín.
- Distrito Norte: It has 71,963 inhabitants. Attractions: The old airport, the cemetery of San Fernando, the monastery of San Jeronimo de Buenavista and the Temple or Shrine of San Onofre. Neighborhoods: Pino Montano, Consolación, El Gordillo, Las Almenas, San Jerónimo, La Bachillera, Los Carteros, San Diego (Sevilla), Los Arcos, Las Naciones-Parque Atlántico-Las Dalias, San Matías, Aeropuerto Viejo, Valdezorras.
- Los Remedios: South of the ancient neighborhood of Triana. It derives its name from a Carmelite convent of the same name found in that area. Before development in the latter half of the 20th Century, this was one of the few standing structures in what is now Los Remedios. It has a population of 27.007. Attractions: The Parque de los Príncipes, the Seville FairSeville FairThe Seville Fair is held in the Andalusian capital of Seville, Spain. The fair generally begins two weeks after the Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week....
, the Puente de San Telmo, the Museo de Carruajes, Los Remedios' tower and the Cuba Square. Neighborhoods: Tablada and Los Remedios. - Este-Alcosa-Torreblanca: It has a population of 94,761 inhabitants. Attractions: The Congress and Exhibitions Palace, the Holy Week in Torreblanca and the San Pablo AirportSan Pablo Airport- Statistics :Passenger numbers and operations since 2000:- External links :** - Official Airport Website - Statistics :Passenger numbers (in thousands) and operations since 2000:- External links :** - Official Airport Website - Statistics :Passenger numbers (in thousands) and operations since...
. Neighborhoods: Colores-Entreparques, Torreblanca, Parque Alcosa-Jardines del Edén, Palacio de Congresos-Urbadiez-Entrepuentes.
- Cerro-Amate: It has a population of 88.667 inhabitants. Attractions: Amate Park and Amate Sports Center. Neighborhoods: Amate, Juan XXIII, Los Pájaros, Rochelambert, Santa Aurelia-Cantábrico-Atlántico-La Romería, Palmete, El Cerro, La Plata.
- Bellavista-La Palmera: It has a population of 35.785. Attractions: Heliopolis' typical houses, the Estadio Benito Villamarín, the Luís del Sol Sports City, the Nuestra Señora de Valme Chapel and the Puente del V Centenario. Neighborhoods: Bellavista, Heliópolis, Elcano-Los Bermejales, Sector Sur-La Palmera-Reina Mercedes, Pedro Salvador-Las Palmeritas, Barriada de Pineda.
- San Pablo-Santa Justa: It has a population of 66.600. Attractions: The Sports Palace of Seville and Kansas City Avenue. Neighborhoods: Árbol Gordo, La Corza, Las Huertas, San Carlos-Tartessos, San José Obrero, El Fontanal-María Auxiliadora-Carretera de Carmona, Santa Clara, Zodiaco, San Pablo A y B, San Pablo C, San Pablo D y E, Huerta de Santa Teresa.
Sister cities
AngersAngers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 2000 Baler
Baler, Aurora
Baler is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. It is the provincial capital of Aurora. According to the latest census, it has a population of 34,492 people and 5.955 members per household....
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(1977) Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Tifariti
Tifariti
Tifariti is an oasis town located in POLISARIO-controlled Western Sahara, east of the Moroccan Berm, and 15 km. north the Mauritanian border. It is part of what POLISARIO call the Liberated Territories and Morocco call the Buffer Zone. It has a hospital, a school, a mosque and a museum...
, Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
(2009)
Economy
The economic activity of Seville cannot be detached from the geographical and urban context of the city; the capital of Andalusia is the centre of a growing metropolitan area. Aside from traditional neighborhoods such as Santa CruzSanta Cruz, Seville
Santa Cruz, is the primary tourist neighborhood of Seville, Spain, and the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city. Santa Cruz is bordered by the Jardines de Murillo, the Real Alcázar, Calle Mateas Gago, and Calle Santa Maria La Blanca/San José...
, Triana and others, those further away from the centre, such as Nervión
Nervión, Seville
Nervión is a large, modern neighborhood in the eastern zone of Seville, Spain. The neighborhood is an important commercial district of the city, where much of the regional capital's business takes place. The population is 16,129 inhabitants...
, Sevilla Este, and El Porvenir have seen recent economic growth. Over the past twenty years, this urban area has seen significant population growth and the development of new industrial and commercial parks.
Due to its size and location, Seville is economically the strongest of the Andalusian cities. The infrastructure available in the city contributes to the growth of an economy dominated by the service sector, but in which industry still holds a considerable place.
Infrastructure
The 1990s saw massive growth in investment in infrastructure in Seville, largely due to the hosting of the Universal Exposition of SevilleSeville Expo '92
The Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
in 1992, which saw the economic development of the city and its urban area is supported by good transport links to other Spanish cities, including a high-speed AVE
AVE
Alta Velocidad Española is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".AVE trains run on a network of...
railway link to Madrid, and a new international airport
San Pablo Airport
- Statistics :Passenger numbers and operations since 2000:- External links :** - Official Airport Website - Statistics :Passenger numbers (in thousands) and operations since 2000:- External links :** - Official Airport Website - Statistics :Passenger numbers (in thousands) and operations since...
.
In addition:
- Seville has the only inland port of Spain, located 80 km (50 mi) from the mouth of the River GuadalquivirGuadalquivirThe Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
. This harbor complex offers access to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and allows trade in goods between the south of Spain (Andalusia, ExtremaduraExtremaduraExtremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
) and Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The port has undergone reorganisation. Annual tonnageTonnageTonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume...
rose to 5.3 million tonnes of goods in 2006. - Seville has conference facilities, including the Congress Palace.
- The city and its surrounding province have a number of large industrial parks and technology centres: Dos HermanasDos HermanasDos Hermanas is a Spanish city south of Seville in Andalusia, with a population of 125,086 as of 2010.The city's name, which means "two sisters", dates from its founding in 1248 by King Ferdinand III of Castile and honours the sisters of Gonzalo Nazareno, one of the king's principal military...
accommodates the largest Andalusian industrial park, while Alcalá de Guadaíra has the largest industrial complex by surface area in Andalusia; the Parque Científico Tecnológico Sevilla Tecnopolis, gathers companies, research centres and university departments directed towards the development of new technologies; the Parque Tecnológico y Aeronáutico Aerópolis is focused on the aircraft industry. - Outside of Seville are 9 PS20 solar power towers providing most of the city of Seville with clean and renewable energy. These towers use mirrors to focus sunlight on the tower, heating it and creating superheated steam. This steam drives turbines that in turn create electric power and provide electricity during day and night.
Characteristics by sector
The town of Seville and its agglomeration have, by their situation by the river Guadalquivir, maintained dynamic agricultural activity. Agroalimentary industry may be productive. Nevertheless, for a long time the area has been looking to the future, while investing massively in industrial activities, supported by the existing infrastructures. The service sector and new technologies are increasingly important. Seville concentrated, in 2004, 31% of large Andalusian companies and 128 of the 6,000 largest national companies. In 2005, the metropolitan area counted a working population of 471,947 people, of which 329,471 (69.81%) worked within the city centre.- Agriculture represents less than 1.3% of the workers of the city. Cereal, fruit and olive-growing constitute the principal agricultural activities in this area of Andalusia.
- Industry contributes up to 28% of the economic output of Seville. It employed in 2005 15.2% of workers in the city. It is well established in the metropolitan area, stimulated by the various industrial parks, the presence of good infrastructure and the proximity of the complexes of the Bays of Cádiz, Algeciras, and Huelva.
- The service sector employs 83.5% of the working population of Seville. It represents a significant share of the local economy and is centred on tourism, trade and financial services.
Research and development
The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas en Sevilla (CSIC) is based in the former Pavilion of Peru in the Maria Luisa ParkMaria Luisa Park
The Maria Luisa Park is a public park that stretches along the Guadalquivir River in Seville, Spain. It is Seville's principal green area.-History:...
. In April 2008 the city council of Seville provided a grant to renovate the building to create the Science Center
Science Center, Seville
The Science Center in the city of Seville, Spain is a center for popularizing science.The Science Center is housed in the old Pavilion of Peru , a building of great beauty that was built in the Maria Luisa Park for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.For twenty years the building housed the...
to encourage popular interest in science.
The city of Seville makes a significant contribution to scientific research, as it houses the first and largest DNA bank
DNA bank
A DNA bank is a repository of DNA, usually used for research. The NIAS DNA Bank, for example, collects the DNA of agricultural organisms, such as rice and fish, for scientific research. Most DNA provided by DNA banks is used for studies to attempt to develop more productive or more environmentally...
in Spain, through the local company Neocodex. Neocodex stores 20,000 DNA samples and is recognised internationally. In addition, Seville is also considered an important technological and research centre for renewable energies and the aeronautics industry.
Through its high-tech centres and its fabric of innovating companies, the Andalusian capital has risen to among the most important Spanish cities in term of development and research. Moreover, the scientific and technological activity of the three Seville universities has to be added, whose certain laboratories and research centres work in close connection with the local socio-economic power. Thus, the Parque Científico Tecnológico Cartuja 93 gathers private and public actors in various fields of research.
The principal innovation and research orientations are telecommunications, new technologies, biotechnologies (in relation to local agricultural specificities), environment and renewable energy.
Transportation
Seville is served by the TUSSAM (Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla) bus
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
network which runs buses throughout the city.
Two bus stations serve transport with surrounding areas and other cities: Plaza de Armas station, with destinations towards north and west, and Prado de San Sebastián stations, covering routes to south and east.
On April 2, 2009, the city opened its first metro
Seville metro
The Seville metro is a light metro network serving the city of Seville, Spain and its metropolitan area. The system is totally independent of any other rail or street traffic. All stations were built with platform screen doors....
line, that runs from the South to the Aljarafe comarca, with stops at San Bernardo transport hub (tram and buses) and Puerta Jerez, gate to city center.
A single tram line runs from San Bernardo to Plaza Nueva at city center. It has stops at Prado de San Sebastián and the Cathedral.
The Santa Justa train station is served by the AVE
AVE
Alta Velocidad Española is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".AVE trains run on a network of...
high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
system, and is operated by the Spanish formerly state-owned rail company Renfe
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
. A five-line commuter rail service (Cercanías) joins the city with the Metropolitan area.
The Sevici
Sevici
Sevici is a community bicycle program in Seville inaugurated in April 2007, modeled after the Vélo'v service in Lyon and Vélib' in Paris. Its purpose is to cover the small and medium daily routes within the city in a climate friendly way, almost without pollution , roadway noise, traffic congestion...
community bicycle program
Community bicycle program
A bicycle sharing system is a service in which bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals who do not own them. Bicycle sharing systems can be divided into two general categories: "Community Bike programs" organized mostly by local community groups or non-profit organizations; and...
has integrated bicycles into the public transport network. Across the city, bicycles are available for hire at low cost and green bicycle lanes can be seen on most major streets. This network of lanes (carriles) is also currently being expanded.
Seville Airport is a medium sized international airport that serves the city and surrounding region. Jerez Airport
Jerez Airport
Jerez Airport , also known as La Parra Airport, is an airport located northeast of Jerez de la Frontera in Southern Spain, about from Sevilla and from Cadiz...
, in the nearby city of Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
, complement the airway services of Seville.
Education
State Education in SpainEducation in Spain
The current system of education in Spain is known as LOE after the Ley Orgánica de Educación, or Fundamental Law of Education. Education in Spain is compulsory, and free from 6 to 16 years of age, supported by the Government in each Region....
is free, and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. The current education system is called LOGSE (Ley de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo).
Higher education
Seville is home to several universities. The University of SevilleUniversity of Seville
The Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, in English, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country...
, Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Universidad Pablo de Olavide
The Universidad Pablo de Olavide is a public university in Seville, Spain. UPO offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in the traditional majors, as well as in biotechnology, environmental sciences, humanities, labor relations, second language acquisition, social work, sports sciences,...
(UPO) and the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía are public institutions. Additionally, the Menéndez Pelayo International University
Menéndez Pelayo International University
The Menéndez Pelayo International University is a university with its centre in Madrid and branches in :*Santander*Valencia*Barcelona*Cuenca*Fundación Luis Seoane, La Coruña*Granada*Campus de Huesca de la Universidad de Zaragoza*Sevilla*Tenerife...
, based in Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, operates a branch campus in Seville.
Famous natives
- Maria Antonietta of SpainMaria Antonietta of SpainMaria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and the youngest daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese. She was the wife of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia whom she married in 1750...
, Queen consort of Sardinia (1729–1785) - Roman emperors TrajanTrajanTrajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
and HadrianHadrianHadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
were born in ItalicaItalicaThe city of Italica was founded in 206 BC by the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus in order to settle Roman soldiers wounded in the Battle of Ilipa, where the Carthaginian army was defeated during the Second Punic War... - Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik Ibn Zuhr (known in the West as AvenzoarIbn ZuhrAbū Merwān ’Abdal-Malik ibn Zuhr was a Muslim physician, surgeon and teacher in Al-Andalus.He was born at Seville...
) - 1091-1161 C.E - "Master Physician" - The family of the Arabic historian and sociologist Ibn KhaldunIbn KhaldunIbn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
- Renaissance composer Cristóbal de MoralesCristóbal de MoralesCristóbal de Morales was a Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He is generally considered to be the most influential Spanish composer before Victoria.- Life :...
, Francisco Guerrero - 16th century novelist Mateo AlemánMateo AlemánMateo Alemán y de Enero was a Spanish novelist and writer.He graduated at Seville University in 1564, studied later at Salamanca and Alcalá, and from 1571 to 1588 held a post in the treasury; in 1594 he was arrested on suspicion of malversation, but was speedily released...
- Playwrights Lope de RuedaLope de RuedaLope de Rueda was a Spanish dramatist and author, regarded by some as the best of his era. A very versatile writer, he also wrote comedies, farces, and pasos...
, Hermanos Alvarez Quintero - Historian of New Spain Bartolomé de Las CasasBartolomé de Las CasasBartolomé de las Casas O.P. was a 16th-century Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar. He became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians"...
- Explorer Juan Díaz de SolísJuan Díaz de SolísJuan Díaz de Solís was a Spanish navigator and explorer.Díaz de Solís was probably born in Lebrija, Seville, although some other authors argue that his birth may have actually taken place in Portugal to an Andalusian emigree family....
, born in LebrijaLebrijaLebrija is a city in the province of Seville, Andalusia , near the left bank of the Guadalquivir river, and on the eastern edge of the marshes known as Las Marismas.... - Spanish Linguist and Grammarian Antonio de NebrijaAntonio de NebrijaAntonio de Lebrija , also known as Antonio de Nebrija, Elio Antonio de Lebrija, Antonius Nebrissensis, and Antonio of Lebrixa, was a Spanish scholar, known for writing a grammar of the Castilian language, credited as one of the first published grammars of a Romance language...
, born in LebrijaLebrijaLebrija is a city in the province of Seville, Andalusia , near the left bank of the Guadalquivir river, and on the eastern edge of the marshes known as Las Marismas.... - Baroque painters Diego VelázquezDiego VelázquezDiego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
, Valdés Leal and MurilloBartolomé Estéban MurilloBartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children... - Explorer and astronomer Antonio de UlloaAntonio de UlloaAntonio de Ulloa y de la Torre-Girault was a Spanish general, explorer, author, astronomer, colonial administrator and the first Spanish governor of Louisiana.Rebellion of 1768]]....
- RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
poet Gutierre de CetinaGutierre de CetinaGutierre de Cetina a Spanish poet and soldier, was born at Seville. He was the brother of Beltrán and Gregorio de Cetina, lesser known conquistadors. He served under Charles V in Italy and Germany, but retired from the army in 1545 to settle in Seville... - Romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo BécquerGustavo Adolfo BécquerGustavo Adolfo Domínguez Bastida, better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, was a Spanish post-romanticist writer of poetry and short stories, now considered one of the most important figures in Spanish literature. He adopted the alias of Bécquer as his brother Valeriano Bécquer, a painter, had...
- Bullfighters Juan BelmonteJuan BelmonteJuan Belmonte García was a Spanish bullfighter, considered by many to have been the greatest matador of all time.-Life:...
, Curro RomeroCurro RomeroFrancisco Romero López Spanish bullfighter, known as Curro Romero. Born in Camas, near Seville.He started his professional career in La Pañoleta , on August 22, 1954 together with Limeño....
, Ignacio Sánchez MejíasIgnacio Sánchez MejíasIgnacio Sánchez Mejías was a famous Spanish bullfighter. He was also a writer. He enjoyed enormous popularity — he was attractive to women, admired by men, and a sympathetic personality to artists, especially those of the Generación del 27.When he died after a goring in the Plaza of...
and Joselito el Gallo - 20th century poets:
- Vicente AleixandreVicente AleixandreVicente Pío Marcelino Cirilo Aleixandre y Merlo was a Spanish poet who was born in Seville. Aleixandre was a Nobel Prize laureate for Literature in 1977. He was part of the Generation of '27. He died in Madrid in 1984....
(Nobel Laureate) - Antonio MachadoAntonio MachadoAntonio Cipriano José María y Francisco de Santa Ana Machado y Ruiz, known as Antonio Machado was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation of '98....
- Manuel MachadoManuel Machado y RuizManuel Machado y Ruiz was a Spanish poet and a prominent member of the Generation of 98....
, his brother - Luis CernudaLuis CernudaLuis Cernuda , was a Spanish poet and literary critic.-Life and career:...
- Vicente Aleixandre
- Composer Joaquín TurinaJoaquín TurinaJoaquín Turina was a Spanish composer of classical music.-Biography:Turina was born in Seville but his origins were in northern Italy . He studied in Seville as well as in Madrid...
- Actors Juan DiegoJuan Diego (actor)Juan Diego , full name Juan Diego Ruíz Montero is a Spanish actor who has appeared on stage, in television and film productions since 1957...
, Paco LeónPaco LeónPaco León is a Spanish comic actor born in Seville. His first television experiences were playing in the childlike comedy "Mariquilla Ríe Perlas" and "Castillos en el Aire" on Canal Sur.... - Actresses Soledad MirandaSoledad MirandaSoledad Rendón Bueno , better known by her stage names Soledad Miranda or Susann Korda , was an actress who was born in Seville, Spain to Portuguese parents of Roma ancestry. She frequently starred in the films of Jess Franco, such as Count Dracula and Vampyros Lesbos...
, Verónica SánchezVerónica SánchezVerónica Sánchez Calderón is a Spanish actress. She made her debut in theatre in 1996, and came to media attention as Eva Capdevila in the Telecinco series Los Serrano in 2003. Sánchez has since developed a successful film career...
, Carmen SevillaCarmen SevillaCarmen Sevilla is a popular Spanish actress, singer and TV presenter. She made her film debut in 1948 in Jalisco Canta en Sevilla. Other roles include Academy Award nominee La venganza, Buscando a Mónica and the 1956 French film Don Juan.She played Mary Magdalene in Nicholas Ray's King of Kings...
, Paz VegaPaz VegaPaz Campos Trigo , better known as Paz Vega, is a Spanish actress.- Early life :Vega was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain to a homemaker mother and a retired bullfighter father. Vega's younger sister has performed as a flamenco dancer. Vega has described her family as "traditional" and Catholic.... - Miss España 2003 (representing Andalusia), beauty queen and model Eva Maria González
- Singers Isabel PantojaIsabel PantojaIsabel Pantoja is a popular contemporary Spanish singer. She is of Romani origin, born in the Triana district of Seville, Spain. She has released more than a dozen albums throughout a career spanning many decades, and is known for her distinctive Andalusian style.-Biography:She was born into a...
, Juanita ReinaJuanita ReinaJuana Reina Castrillo, Juanita Reina , alias La Reina de la Copla was a Spanish actress and copla singer....
, Lole y ManuelLole y ManuelLole y Manuel is a Spanish musical duo which composed and performed innovative flamenco music. Their groundbreaking album Nuevo Dia fused traditional Spanish flamenco with Arabic rhythms and styles...
, Paquita RicoPaquita RicoPaquita Rico is a Spanish film actress. She appeared in 30 films between 1948 and 1983. She starred in the film ¡Viva lo imposible!, which was entered into the 8th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
, El Caracol, FaleteFaleteRafael Ojeda Rojas alias Falete is a gay gypsy flamenco singer from Seville, Spain.His father is a member of the musical group Cantores de Híspalis, and he made his debut in the Teatro Lope de Vega, Seville when he was 15 years old, dedicating his performance to La Chunga.In the 1990s, he took... - Comedian Manuel Summers
- Football (soccer) players José Antonio ReyesJosé Antonio ReyesJosé Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes...
, Fernando "Nando" MuñozFernando MuñozFernando Muñoz García , aka Nando, is a retired Spanish footballer who played mostly as a centre back ....
, Ricardo SernaRicardo SernaRicardo Jesús Serna Orozco is a retired Spanish footballer who played mostly as a central defender....
, Sergio RamosSérgio RamosSérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...
, Jesús NavasJesús NavasJesús Navas González is a Spanish footballer who plays for Sevilla FC in La Liga.A right winger who can play on the left flank on occasion, his main assets are his quick feet which also allow him to be very good at dribbling and an ability to run at opposing defenders.-Club career:Navas joined...
, Antonio PuertaAntonio PuertaAntonio José Puerta Pérez was a Spanish footballer who played solely for Sevilla.Mainly a left midfielder who could also operate as an offensive left back, he died on 28 August 2007, affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, three days after suffering a series of cardiac...
, Carlos MarchenaCarlos MarchenaCarlos Marchena López is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender with an aggressive approach, he can also pitch in as a defensive midfielder...
. - Olympic swimmer Fátima MadridFátima MadridFátima Madrid Calancha is a former freestyle swimmer from Spain, who competed for her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There she was eliminated in the qualifying heats of the 4x100m Freestyle Relay, alongside Blanca Cerón, Susanna Garabatos, and Claudia...
- Politicians Felipe GonzálezFelipe GonzálezFelipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.-Early life:Felipe was...
, President of the Government of Spain from 1982 to 1996, and Alfonso GuerraAlfonso GuerraAlfonso Guerra González is a Spanish politician. A leading member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , he served as Vice President of the Government of Spain from 1982 to 1991, under the presidency of Felipe González...
, vice president from 1982 to 1991
Famous residents
- Ibn ArabiIbn ArabiIbn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
(known in the West as Dr. Maximus), 1165-1240 C.E - Muslim mystic known as "The Greatest Master" - his family moved to Seville from Murcia when he was 8.
Sport
- Seville is the hometown of two rival football (soccer)Football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams: Sevilla Fútbol ClubSevilla FCSevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
and Real Betis BalompiéReal BetisReal Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
.
- Seville housed the Tennis Davis CupDavis CupThe Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
in 2004 and the 7th Athletics World Championships1999 World Championships in AthleticsThe 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
in 1999, among other international sport events. - Seville also unsuccessfully bid for the 20042004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, which it lost to AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, respectively. It was also unable to bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics2012 Summer OlympicsThe 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
as MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
was proposed by the Olympic Council of Spain instead. - Sevilla FC stadium Ramón Sánchez PizjuánEstadio Ramón Sánchez PizjuánEstadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is a stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla Fútbol Club. It was the venue for the 1986 European Cup Final between Steaua Bucureşti and Barcelona and the 1982 World Cup semi-final game between Germany and France.This stadium contains a singular...
hosted the 1982 World Cup Semi-Finals in which Germany beat France in the penalty shoot-outs after a 3-3 tie. - Seville FC stadium Ramón Sánchez PizjuánEstadio Ramón Sánchez PizjuánEstadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is a stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla Fútbol Club. It was the venue for the 1986 European Cup Final between Steaua Bucureşti and Barcelona and the 1982 World Cup semi-final game between Germany and France.This stadium contains a singular...
hosted the 1986 European Cup FinalEuropean Cup 1985-86The 1985–86 European Cup was the 31st season of UEFA's premier club football tournament, the European Cup. The European Champion Clubs' Cup was won by Steaua Bucharest on penalties in a final against Barcelona...
, in which Steaua Bucharest (Romania) unexpectedly defeated FC BarcelonaFC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
(Spain). - Seville also hosted in 2003 the UEFA Cup Final in the new Olympic stadium. The final was between Celtic F.C.Celtic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
(Scotland) and Futebol Clube do PortoFutebol Clube do PortoFutebol Clube do Porto , commonly known as FC Porto, Porto, or FCP, is a Portuguese multi-sports club from the city of Porto, in the northern region of the country. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, FC Porto is mostly known for its association football team...
(Portugal). The match finished in extra time 3–2 to Porto after a 2-2 draw at 90 minutes. Around 80,000 Celtic fans travelled to Seville to watch the match. - Sevilla FCSevilla FCSevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
won the 2006 UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, their first European trophy, with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Middlesbrough FC of England in the final, played at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven on May 10, 2006. Sevilla retained the UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 2007 against fellow Spaniards Espanyol in 3-1 on penalties, after a 2-2 draw at Hampden ParkHampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. They are also won the European Supercup with a 0-3 defeat of F.C. Barcelona (Spain) in Stade Louis II in MonacoMonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
on August 26, 2006. On June 23, 2007 Sevilla FCSevilla FCSevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
won the King's Cup (Copa del Rey) beating Getafe 1-0 in the Santiago Bernabéu StadiumSantiago Bernabéu StadiumThe Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
. - Seville's GuadalquivirGuadalquivirThe Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
river is one of only 3 FISA approved international traning centres, the other 2 being OberschleißheimOberschleißheimOberschleißheim is a municipality in the district of Munich, in Bavaria, Germany. It is located 13 km north of Munich . As of 2005 it had a population of 11,467....
and MarathonSchinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing CentreThe Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre was built to host the rowing and canoe sprint events at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece....
In fiction
- The picaresque novel Rinconete y Cortadillo by Miguel de CervantesMiguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
takes place in the city of Seville. - The novel La femme et le pantinLa Femme et le pantinThe Woman and the Puppet is a novel by Pierre Louÿs that was adapted for film several times.-Film adaptations:*1920 - The Woman and the Puppet - Frank Lloyd, starring Geraldine Farrar...
, ("Woman and puppet") (1898) by Pierre LouÿsPierre LouÿsPierre Louÿs was a French poet and writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who "expressed pagan sensuality with stylistic perfection."-Life:...
, adapted for film several times, is set mainly in Seville. - Seville is the setting for the legend of Don JuanDon JuanDon Juan is a legendary, fictional libertine whose story has been told many times by many authors. El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra by Tirso de Molina is a play set in the fourteenth century that was published in Spain around 1630...
(inspired by the real aristocrat Don Miguel de Mañara) on the Paseo Alcalde Marqués de Contadero - Seville is the primary setting of many operas, the best known of which are BizetGeorges BizetGeorges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
's Carmen (based on MériméeProsper MériméeProsper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
's novellaCarmen (novella)"Carmen" is a novella by Prosper Mérimée, written and first published in 1845. It has been adapted into a number of dramatic works, including the famous opera by Georges Bizet.-Sources:...
), Rossini's The Barber of SevilleThe Barber of SevilleThe Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
, VerdiGiuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's La forza del destinoLa forza del destinoLa forza del destino is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino , by Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, with a scene adapted from Friedrich Schiller's Wallensteins Lager. It was first performed...
, BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's FidelioFidelioFidelio is a German opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly which had been used for the 1798 opera Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux, and for the 1804 opera Leonora...
, MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Don GiovanniDon GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
and The Marriage of FigaroThe Marriage of FigaroLe nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
, and Prokofiev's Betrothal in a Monastery. - Seville is the setting of the novel "The Seville Communion" by Arturo Pérez-ReverteArturo Pérez-ReverteArturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez is a Spanish novelist and journalist. He worked as a war correspondent for twenty-one years . His first novel, El húsar, set in the Napoleonic Wars, was released in 1986. He is well known outside Spain for his "Alatriste" series of novels...
. - Seville is both the location and setting for much of the 1985 Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
television serial The Two DoctorsThe Two DoctorsThe Two Doctors is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 16 February to 2 March 1985. It starred Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as the Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri, respectively...
. - Seville is also used as one of the locations in Dan Brown's "Digital FortressDigital FortressDigital Fortress is a techno-thriller novel written by American author Dan Brown and published in 1998 by St. Martin's Press. The book explores the theme of government surveillance of electronically stored information on the private lives of citizens, and the possible civil liberties and ethical...
". - Arthur KoestlerArthur KoestlerArthur Koestler CBE was a Hungarian author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria...
's book Spanish TestamentSpanish TestamentSpanish Testament is a 1937 book by Arthur Koestler, describing his experiences during the Spanish Civil War. Part II of the book was subsequently published on its own, with minor modifications, under the title Dialogue with Death...
is based on the writer's experiences while held in the Seville prison, under a sentence of death, during the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. - Robert Wilson'sRobert Wilson (crime novelist)Robert Wilson is a British crime-writer currently resident in Portugal. He is the son of an RAF fighter pilot, and has a degree in English from Oxford. Wilson is the author of the Bruce Medway series, set on the Gold Coast of Africa, and the Javier Falcon series, set largely in Seville, Spain...
police novel The Hidden Assassins (2006) concerns a terrorist incident in Seville and the political context thereof, with much local color. Note also his title The Blind Man of Seville (2004). - The Plaza de España in the Parque de María Luisa appears in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
as well as in Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia (film)Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
as the British Army HQ in CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, while the courtyard was the King Alfonso XIII HotelHotel Alfonso XIIIHotel Alfonso XIII is a historic hotel in Seville, Spain, located on the Calle San Fernando, next to the University of Seville. Designed by the architect José Espiau y Muñoz, it was built between 1916 and 1928 especially for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929...
. - The Plaza of the Americas also appeared in Lawrence, substituting for Jerusalem, and in Anthony MannAnthony MannAnthony Mann was an American actor and film director, most notably of film noirs and Westerns. As a director, he often collaborated with the cinematographer John Alton and with James Stewart in his Westerns.-Biography:...
's El CidEl CidRodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
. It would also serve as the Palace of Vladek SheybalVladek SheybalVladek Sheybal , born Władysław Sheybal, was a Polish character actor, whose career lasted from the 1950s into the 1980s. He was probably best known for his portrayal of the chess grandmaster Kronsteen in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love, a role for which he had been personally...
's Bashaw in The Wind and the LionThe Wind and the LionThe Wind and the Lion is a 1975 adventure film. It was written and directed by John Milius and starred Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith and John Huston...
(1975) (including the memorable attack scene by the US Marines.)