SEVILLE

Seville (in Spanish Sevilla, over 700.0000 inhabitants), stupendous city, capital of the Andalusia, is the artistic, cultural, financial, economic and social center of southern Spain. The city is found at several ten kilometers in the interior along the course of the river Guadalquivir, from his river harbour departed many of the discover expeditn to the New World and here were arrived the fleets loaded of gold and silver, in fact it was here that it had the center the Casa de Contratación, the government agency that checked the whole commerce of the Spanish empire. To Sivigila they are still guarded, in the Archivo General de Indias, the most important and rich files of documents of the Spanish administration in the americas.

The city of Seville, has Iberian origins, its ancient Roman name was that of Hispalis. In the 206 bC. the Romans founded in its proximities the city of Italic, of which the ruins are still visible today. In 711-12 it was conquered by the Arabs that gave it the name of Ishbīliya, from which it derives the actual name. The city flourished during the period of the Arabic domination, that lasted for over five centuries, leaving today still important cultural traces and visible monuments. Seville, was in fact the capital of the one of the Taifa kingdoms more powerful of muslim Spain. In 1248 it was regained by the army of Fernando III of Castile. The discovery of America from Cristoforo Colombo and the following birth of the Spanish empire made of Seville the principal port of connection with the New World and the greatest city in Spain, coming to count a population of 130.000 inhabitants in 1649.  

Principal attractions in Seville: In 1987 the UNESCO has declared world patrimony of the humanity the three most important monuments in Seville: the Cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archivo General de Indias. These three buildings represent the monumental complex of the city, the Alcázar and the Cathedral they represent the two periods of maximum shine, that Arab of the Almohadis, of which the minaret of the Giralda is the architectural masterpiece and the following Christian period represented from the Catholic Cathedral to five aisles, the greatest Gothic building in Europe (for the volume), containing the grave of Cristoforo Colombo. Of notable cultural and historical importance is instead the Archivo General de Indias, situated in the ancient market of change (the ancient Lonja), a building in Renaissance style of the 16th century planned by Juan de Herrera, that guards million of original and unique documents on the Spanish colonies in America and in the rest of the world.  

The Alcázar, the real citadel with its gardens, it's an architectural jewel of the Arabic epoch (9th century), in origin it belonged to the works of defense of the city, later it became the royal residence, it was restored in the 14th century however, the inside is orderly around two courtyards, the courtyard de Las Doncellas and that de Las Muñecas. The ambassadors' room, decorated in mudejar style, is among the most beautiful rooms.  

In front of the Alcázar the Cathedral is found, built between 1401-1519 above the Mosque, of which the magnificent minaret of the Giralda has remained, one of the symbols in Seville, today a bell tower of the Cathedral, from which enjoy a beautiful panorama on the city. The Cathedral contains examples of various architectural styles, mudejar, renaissance, baroque, even if the Gothic one is what dominates and characterizes the structure. Of the Arabic period, part of the old Mosque, are also the courtyard called Las Abluciones and the gate Del Perdón. The Mosque was turned into the Cathedral after the 1248 Christian "reconquista". The entry in the cathedral is had through the Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes, the inside, to five aisles, it is immense, it reaches the maximum height of 40 meters to the transept, while the principal base to rectangular plant measure 116 meters length and 76 meters width, to the inside as already said are found the rests of Cristoforo Colombo. The Patio de los Naranjos, in Almohade style, introduces a Visigothic source, the only rest of the original Visigothic temple, built before the Mosque.  

In the same plaza of the Cathedral lies the Palacio Arzobispal, that was built in the middle of the 16th century to the place of the ancient building of the first bishop of Seville, notable the Baroque portal of the 18th century. Another building of the Arabic epoch is the so-called Tower de Oro, a tower of octagonal plant, built in the 13th century next to the river to defense of the city, it entertains the Maritime Museum today. Among the districts in Seville the most characteristic is the district of Triana, that is found on the right bank of the Guadalquivir, connected to the rest of the city from the bridge Isabella II or bridge of Triana, built between 1845 and 1852. In the district they are to visit: the church of Sant'Anna (13th century); the convent de las Minimas (1755); the church of St. Giacinto (1775) and the remains of the castle of St. George headquarter of the inquisition.  

Other interesting district is that of Santa Cruz, one of the historical barrios in Seville, it is found in the center of the city, and it is rich of houses and buildings, it was in origin the Jewish district, the Judería in Seville. Among the places of interest for a visit are to consider: the Palacio de las Dueñas, today's residence of the Dukes of Alba, it was built between the 15th and the 16th century, the building it is composed from patios and buildings in different styles that go from the góthic-mudéjar to the renaissance style. The Casa de Pilatos decorated by azulejos mudéjares and gardens, was built at the end of the 15th century in Italian renaissance and Spanish mudéjar styles, it's considered the prototype of the andalucian building. The Alameda de Hércules is one of the historical walks of the city, built in 1574, it is found among the river Guadalquivir and the district of Macarena. The Caños de Carmonas, are the rests of a Roman aqueduct, that it was partly demolished in 1912. The Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla is the oldest arena for the bullfights of the whole Spain, its construction was in fact initiated in 1749.  

Interesting it is also the modern architecture of the city, particularly big part of the installations of Expo 92 that have been reconverted in the thematic park of the Magic Island and the monumental bridge Alamillo on the river Guadalquivir work of the architect Santiago Calatrava. The Plaza de España, planned by the architect Aníbal González, it is the monument that remain of the 1929 Expo.