Seville

Make the most of your time in Seville, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links to plan your visit.

Sevilla is the capital of Spain’s southern Andalucia region and is situated on the banks of the River Guadalquivir. The city is Spain’s fourth largest city with more than 700,000 inhabitants, while the region of Andalucia welcomes thousands more during its popular holiday season. Sevilla is well known for its vast gastronomy - it features more than 1,000 bars with a wide choice of food and it is often credited with the invention of the Spanish appetiser, tapas. The city is also famous for being a particularly joyous town.

Sevilla grew out of the nearby city of Italica which was built by the Romans in 206 BC. Some parts of the original historical features have been preserved in the archaeological museum giving some idea of the city’s past. Sevilla underwent conquests by the Vandals and Visigoths in the fifth and sixth centuries before the Moors took charge in 711. They ruled until 1492 and it was at this point in Spanish history when the Catholic monarchs took over and started their expansion and subsequent period of domination in South America; it was during this time that Seville became one of the most affluent European cities and some of the buildings from this time still stand today. The 19th and 20th centuries saw a period of population growth and industrialisation but the area fell quickly to Franco’s troops during the Civil War in 1936. Today, the city retains many of the various features it has acquired in years goneby to complement its series of orange tree-lined streets.

There are many impressive attractions in Sevilla, including various museums, historic buildings, parks and sports stadiums. The Cathedral is famous for having been built on the site of a former mosque from 1401-1519, while the Alcazar royal palace construction began in 1181 and continued for 500 years. The city’s 18th century Fine Arts Museum is the second largest picture gallery in Spain and houses a number of works by various Spaniards throughout the years. Among other picturesque structures are: La Giralda Minaret, the Casa de Pilatos, the Torre del Oro, the Town Hall and the Archive of the Indies. During the reign of the Moors the Mudejares built a whole host of buildings such as the Palacio Pedro I and various other churches, the remnants of which are still visible. Sevilla welcomes its visitors to take a trip to the National Park of Donana with the largest aviary reserve in Europe, travel through the Aracena Sierra forests or explore the remains of the Roman city Italica at Santiponce.

Sevilla’s reputation as a joyous city spills over into its two main annual festivals: Feria de Abril and Semana Santa. A party atmosphere gets going as more than one million people turn up to see the bright dress, bullfighting and dancing. Meanwhile, during Semana Santa, or Holy Week, floats with images of Christ and Mary make their way through the city’s streets to mark the death and resurrection of the Son of God.