5 must see in Seville

1. Plaza de España

This beautiful public square is located in center of Seville just in front of the University of Seville and is also a part of Maria Luisa Park. Plaza the Espana was one of the many areas constructed for the Ibero-American World Fair Expo in 1929. During the Expo there was a structure built to represent each of the visiting nations and Plaza de Espana was the Spanish site. Spanish square is considered the most impressive of the structures built for the Expo and it was the most expensive it was designed by Anibal Gonzalez who start work on the Plaza in 1914. Over thousand employees worked at the construction . Gonzalez resigned from the commission in 1926 and the Spanish Square was completed by Vicente Taverner. Taverner was responsible for the addition of the beautiful central fountain. The Plaza was the site of the Expo’s opening ceremony conducted by Alfonso XIII, the King. The construction concept was to recreate the feel of a 10th century Moorish structure and also to emphasis the Spanish connection to America. The fountains, trees, plants, canal, ornate buildings and vines represent a Moorish paradise.

The Plaza Espana has a semi-circular shape and covers approximately 50,000m². Part of the space is taken up by a monumental building and two towers. The building is in the colonial style and. The square is surrounded by a canal which is crossed on four bridges. Every bridge represent the four ancient kingdoms of Spain. From the central building two long arcades spread out towards the towers. Along the arcade are 48 alcoves decorated in the traditional painted tiles. The alcoves represent the 48 Spanish provinces and benches in the alcoves bear the coat-of-arms, name and map of each province in tile mosaics.  

2. Catedral de Sevilla and Giralda Tower

Seville’s Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See is the 3rd largest church in the world and a UNESCO site. The cathedral was built in 1506 after 101 years in construction. The dome of the cathedral has collapsed twice, once 5 years after completion and again due to an earthquake in 1888.

Inside there is a long nave covered by an ornate gilded ceiling 42 meters above. There are 15 doors on the four sides of the building, 80 chapels and the cathedral is the final resting place of Christopher Columbus, Fernando II of Castile, Alfonso X of Castile, Pedro I of Castile and Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen among others. Some of the architectural features of the mosque which once stood on this site have been incorporated into the structure like the columns and bell tower.

The adjacent Giralda began as an Almohad minaret, one of only three remaining structures of this kind in the world. The minaret was built in 1194 as part of the mosque which stood here before the cathedral. When the moors were conquered in 1248 King Alfonso X insisted that the tower not be destroyed or built over like many other Moorish structures. Instead it was preserved and became the cathedral bell tower in 1402.  Apart from the belfry the tower is still the original Almohad minaret. Inside instead of stairs there are wide ramps leading up the tower. If you walk the ramps you can see out of the windows on the way up and get close-up views of the adjacent cathedral.

3. Metropol Parasol

The “mushroom of the incarnation” is the largest wooden structure in the world. The structure covers 150 meters by 70 meters consisting of six “umbrella-like” shapes supported by the columns at a height of 26 meters from the ground. The structure was designed in 2005 by Jurgen Mayer ant it was completed in 2011. The project was a finalist in the 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.

Visitors can go up to an observation point or “mirador” to look down on the structure and the city. Access to the lookout point is from the ground floor next to the Antiquarium. The Antiquarium is where you can see archaeological findings from the Roman era to the 6th century and the remains of an Almohad Moorish period house. The archaeological site is protected by a glass wall which surrounds the space.

4. Barrio de Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is a neighborhood and Seville’s former Jewish quarter in the old city. The neighborhood is delineated by Calle Santa Maria La Blanca, Jardines de Murillo, Calle Mateas Gago and Real Alcazar. This is a beautiful area where stop to eat, shop in artisan stores, go to bars in the evening or just walk on small streets. This area just in the center of Seville is home to some of the city’s most beautiful churches including the Seville Cathedral and the Giralda tower.

Among the public squares in Santa Cruz there is Plaza de los Venerables, Plaza de Alfaro which inspired the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, Plaza de Dona Elvira which was once an open air theatre, Plaza de Santa Cruz and the Plaza de los Refinadores with a statue of Don Juan and many many others. In Plaza de Santa Cruz there is a magnificent 17th century cross called the Cruz de la Cerrajeria.

5. Parque María Luisa

This large and amaizng green area is full of exotic trees, historic structures, Moorish fountains, orange trees, palms, flowers, ponds, a round-about and artistically created benches.

The Infanta Maria Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier left her estate, including the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo to the city in her will (1893). The land was turned into a park by designer Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier.  This was the site of Expo 1929 which aimed to boost morale following the loss of Spanish colonies and also to encourage Andalucian business.

One of the central attractions of the park is the Plaza de Espana. The park has few very important monuments including ones dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) who spent time living in Seville his statue you can find on Plaza de America. Another monument is dedicated to Gustovo Adolfo Becquer which is a statue of three women representing different types of love. Gustovo Adolfo Becquer was a Spanish post-romanticist poet and writer, his best known works are the Rhymes and the Legends, usually published together as Rimas y leyendas.