Spotlight: Sevilla, Spain

Spotlight: Sevilla, AKA Seville, is the largest city in Andalusia. It is located along the banks of the Guadalquivir River in southern Spain. Sevilla was originally founded by the Romans under the name of Hispalis. In 711 AD, it fell under the control of the Islamic Moors, who conquered most of the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century. During the Christian "Reconquest" of the peninsula, Sevilla fell back under Catholic control in 1248, when it was incorporated under the Crown of Castilla (AKA Castile).

    Sevilla was perhaps the most important city in Spain during the Colonial Era. The reason for this is because most ships sailing back and forth between Spain and Spain's colonies in the Americas did so via the river port in Sevilla. Sevilla's harbor is located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Guadalquivir was deep enough to allow the Spanish galleons easy access to Sevilla, which was well-connected to Spain's other major cities. As drought conditions lowered the depth of the Guadalquivir in the late 1700's, Spain's primary harbor was moved south to Cadiz.

Bullfighting Arena in downtown Sevilla

Activities:

Real Alcazar de Sevilla: The Royal Alcazar of Sevilla was constructed from a palace complex built by the Abbadid Dynasty in the 11th century. Over the centuries, the complex has gone through many transformations creating a mixed architectural style that includes elements of Mudejar, Gothic and Renaissance styles. The "Catholic Monarchs," Fernando and Isabel, renovated the Alcazar, making it their primary residence. The Alcazar is still a working palace, and the royal family occupies the upper stories whenever they are in town. The main access to the complex is through La Puerta del Leon (The Lion Gate), where most guided tours start. Some of the highlights of the complex include: the Sala de la Justicia (Courtroom of Justice), the Patio del Yeso (Courtyard of Plaster), the Patio de la Monteria (Courtyard of the Hunt), the Cuarto del Almirante (Admiral's Room), the Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens), Baños de Doña María de Padilla (The Baths of Lady Maria de Padilla) and the Salon de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors) - among many others. The rooms in each room are decorated from floor to ceiling with interesting arrays of geometric patterns or historically relevant paintings. In addition to the lavish rooms, visitors can stroll through the beautiful gardens. The gardens were both funcional, providing food for the palace, and recreational - replete with statues, ponds, pools, fountains, flowers and other aesthetically pleasing planters. The Alcazar was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987 and is administered by the Patrimonia Nacional.

Real Alcazar de Sevilla

Ornately decorated walls within the Alcazar

Closer look at the wall art

- Location: Casco Antiguo, 41004 Sevilla

- Hours: 9:30 am to 8 pm; plan on 2-3 hours to truly see this site

- Cost: General admission -13.50 euros; Guided tours: variable

- Rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Archivo General de Indias: The General Archive of the Indies was created by Carlos III in 1785. Housed in the former Merchant Guild Building of Seville (late 16th Century), the Archive is a repository of archival documents and artefacts from the Spanish Empire in the Americas and Asia. The Archive has many fascinating historical documents that visitors can peruse through glass cases at their leisure. Among these documents include: signed letters from many of the conquistadors, signed letters from Spanish monarchs, the Bull of Demarcation Inter caetera by Pope Alexander the VI, the journal of Christopher Columbus and signed letters, coded letters, maps of many early Spanish-American cities, historically relevant paintings, etc. The Archive houses 9 kilometers of shelving, with 43,000 volumes that total some 80 million pages! The building and Archive were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Letter from Christopher Columbus

Coded letter

- Location: Av. de la Constitución, s/n, Casco Antiguo, 41004 Sevilla

- Hours: Tuesday - Saturday from 9:30 am to 5 pm; 10:00 am to 2 pm on Sundays; closed Mondays

- Cost: free

- Rating: 4 of 5 stars (5 stars if you like history; 3 stars if you don't)

The Catedral de Sevilla:  Upon its completion in 1507, the Cathedral of Sevilla supplanted Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral in the world. Although it has since been supplanted by a few larger cathedrals, it remains the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Juan of Aragon, the only son of Fernano and Isabel, was baptized here. Like most Catholic cathedrals, the Catedral de Sevilla contains the tombs of many famous Catholics, including: Christopher Columbus, Diego Columbus, King Fernando III, King Alfonso the Wise, King Pedro the Cruel, Cardinal Juan de Cervantes and Cardinal Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza. Outside the cathedral is the reknowned Patio de los Naranjos or Courtyard of Orange Trees. Next to the cathedral is the Giralda Tower, which measures 104.5 meters (343 feet) in height. This bell tower is a former minaret of an Islamic mosque which once stood there. The tower contains 35 ramps winding around 7 vaulted chambers in the tower's core, allowing the tower to be scaled on horseback. The cathedral and tower were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Gold plated wall in the cathedral

Tomb of Christopher Columbus

The Giralda Tower

- Location: Av. de la Constitución, s/n, Casco Antiguo, 41004 Sevilla

- Hours: Tuesday - Saturday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm; 2:30 - 6:00 pm on Sundays; 11:00 - 3:30 pm Mondays

- Cost: General admission: 9 euros; Student and Retirees: 4 euros

- Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Torre del Oro: The Tower of Gold is a dodecagonal military tower on the riverbanks of the Guadalquivir River. The tower was originally constructed in the 13th century by the Almohad Caliphate to control access to Sevilla by river. A second, much smaller level was constructed a century later. The third level, circular in shape, was destroyed in an earthquake, and rebuilt in 1760. A second tower, la Torre de Plata (Tower of Silver), was built during the same time frame. The Torre del Oro got its name from the golden hue its image cast on the river, as opposed to the Torre de Plata which is a much lighter hue. A wall connecting the towers helped protect access to the Alcazar. During the Middle Ages, the tower was used as a prison. Today it is a nautical museum.

Torre de Oro

View of the Guadalquivir River from the Torre

- Location: P.º de Cristóbal Colón, s/n, Casco Antiguo, 41001 Sevilla

- Hours: Monday - Friday from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm; Saturday - Sunday; 10:30 - 6:45 pm

- Cost: Adults: 3 euros, Students: 1.50 euros, Children under 6: free

- Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Plaza de España: Located in Maria Luisa Park, the Plaza de España was built in 1928 in preparation for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. Designed by Anibal Gonzalez, the architecture is a mixture of Spanish Baroque Revival, Spanish Renaissance Revival and Neo-Mudejar styles. Star Wars fans will also notice a strong resemblance to the city of Theed on Naboo. That's because the Plaza was used to shoot several scenes of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). The Plaza has also been featured in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Dictator (2012) and Kaos (2023). The Plaza, a large semi-circle, is accessible via four bridges (representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain) that cross a moat with the Vicente Traver Fountain in the middle. Around the fountain, tiled alcoves represent the different regions of Spain, with quaint paintings depicting something for which the province is known. Also, the Plaza is a great place to watch Flamenco dancers performing for tips.

Plaza de España

Flamenco Dancer

Vicente Traver Fountain

Regional Alcove of Toledo

"Naboo" Bridge

- Location: Av. Isabel la Católica, 41004 Sevilla

- Hours: 8 am to midnight, daily

- Cost: Currently free, but will soon have an entry fee

- Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Things You Should Know:

- Sevilla is hot, especially during July and August when temperatures often register above 35 degrees Celcius (about 95 degrees Fahrenheit).

- The Real Alcazar of Sevilla offers free admission for an hour most Mondays.

- There has been a recent backlash against excessive tourism in parts of Spain. Residents not associated with the tourist industry have been complaining about how tourists are driving up prices, in particular due to the number of apartments that have been purchased for AirBnBs, which limits the supply for residents. In response to the vocal outcry of these dissidents, the mayor of Sevilla recently announced that they will be charging a tourist fee for the Plaza de 

España and possibly other attractions that were previously free.

Nearby: El Caminito del Rey - a fabulous hike (152 km SE of Sevilla); Antequera - home of the Torcal de Antequera nature reserve (158 km east of Sevilla); Cordoba - the Islamic capital of Spain during the height of Al-Andalus (141 km NE of Sevilla; 48 minutes by bullet train); Gibraltar - The Rock of Gibraltar is owned by England guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean (200 km south of Sevilla)