What to do in Seville

Seville contains centuries of history that perfectly mirrors that of the Iberian peninsula as a whole, from its origins as a Roman settlement, to its importance under Muslim rule, to its golden age as the Spanish Empire’s preeminent port and gateway to the riches of the New World. A visit to Seville is like a journey through a book of Spanish history, with each of its monuments representing a chapter. Here we will highlight some of the ‘must-reads.’

Real Alcázar

The royal alcázar was originally an Islamic citadel that was later expanded into a palace complex by the ensuing Muslim dynasties. When the Castilians conquered the city in 1248, the new Christian rulers decided to build their own palace on the same site, but they retained much of the beauty of the original, preserving some elements of the original Muslim construction––notably the Patio del Yeso and the Jardines del Crucero––while adding their own on top.

However, even the new Christian buildings paid homage to the site’s Muslim origins; for example, the Palacio de Pedro I, which is the principal palace you see today, is one of the finest examples of Mudéjar architecture anywhere in Spain.

Catedral

Seville’s cathedral is one of the largest in the world, and it, too, represents the fusion of Muslim and Christian elements that defines Andalucía.

The cathedral was built on the site of the city’s former grand mosque, which was destroyed and replaced with the colossal sanctuary that is still the largest Gothic structure in all of Europe; however, the Christians preserved the mosque’s beautiful minaret, adding a Renaissance belfry on top to serve as the cathedral’s bell tower, the iconic la Giralda. The cathedral is the final resting place of generations of Castilian royalty as well as Christopher Columbus, the man whose exploits brought Spain the riches it used to construct the city we see today.

Archivo General de Indias

Despite its location 50 miles (80km) upriver from the coast, Seville was the preeminent port of the Spanish Empire; in fact, as the capital of the Carrera de Indias (Indies route), it was the only port authorized to handle trade with Spain’s possessions in the New World for the entirety of the 16th and 17th centuries, meaning that every last cent of Spain’s enormous colonial wealth passed through the city for more than two hundred years. The monopoly was controlled by the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade), which met in the Salón del Almirante (Admiral’s Hall) inside the royal alcázar.

Although prolonged droughts in the Guadalquivir river forced the Spanish crown to move the Casa de Contratación and the royal treasure fleet to the Bay of Cádiz, Seville remained an important center for the empire as the home of the Archivo General de Indias, the largest collection of primary source documents detailing the exploits of the conquistadores and their colonization of the New World. Open to the public today, the archive is housed in the magnificent Consulado de Mercaderes, originally built during the Renaissance for Seville’s merchant guild.

Santa Cruz

All three of the aforementioned are to be found in the lovely neighborhood of Santa Cruz, which in medieval times was the city’s judería (Jewish quarter). Seville was home to the Iberian peninsula’s second-largest Jewish population (behind only Toledo) before they were expelled from the land by royal decree in 1492. Today, the neighborhood is home to many of the city’s oldest churches, but it retains its original layout of a maze of narrow streets and alleys that open up into plazas. Besides their aesthetic appeal, the narrow streets have the benefit of being shaded from the hot summer sun.

Torre del Oro

Before its importance as a port for the Spanish Empire, the Guadalquivir river was a strategic waterway for the Iberian peninsula’s various Islamic dynasties. In the 13th century, the Almohad Caliphate built this defense tower to control access to the city by water. During the Reconquista, when the Catholic monarchs fought to wrest control of the southern half of the peninsula from the Muslims, this portion of the river was the site of a pivotal battle in the capture of Seville, with the Castilian fleet breaking through the Muslim barricade and laying siege to the city.

Plaza de España

One of Seville’s most beautiful monuments is only a century old. Built to host the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition (world’s fair), the Plaza de España represents a remarkable revival of the architectural styles that predominate throughout the city––namely Moorish and Mudéjar but with Baroque and Renaissance influences, as well. Take a walk around the plaza enjoying the architecture, the tilework, and the water features.

Flamenco

Seville is one of a handful of cities in Andalucía that claim to be the birthplace of flamenco, the iconic music and dance form that is surely one of Spain’s most widely known cultural products. Legend has it that flamenco was developed in Triana, the district located across the river from the historic center, which was home to a large gitano (Romani) population. Although there are still plenty of flamenco bars in Triana, one of the best places to experience flamenco in Seville today is at La Carbonería, a bar just east of Santa Cruz with multiple free flamenco shows every night