Sevilla
Seville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman name of the city, Hispalis. The population of the city of Seville was 704,198 as of 2010 (INE), ranking as the fourth largest city of Spain.
Landmarks
The Cathedral of Seville was built from 1401–1519 after the Reconquista on the former site of the city's mosque. It is amongst the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals, in terms of both area and volume. The interior is the longest nave in Spain, and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. It is topped with a statue, known locally as El Giraldillo, representing Faith. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the Muezzin and others to ride on horseback to the top.
The Alcázar facing the cathedral has developed from the city's old Moorish Palace; construction was begun in 1181 and continued for over 500 years, mainly in Mudéjar style, but also in Renaissance. Its gardens are a blend of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions.
The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty as watchtower and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port.
The Town Hall, built in the 16th century in high Plateresque style by master architect Diego de Riaño. The Facade to Plaza Nueva was built in the 19th century in Neoclassical style.
The University of Seville is housed in the original site of the first tobacco factory in Europe, La Antigua Fábrica de Tobaccos, a vast 18th century building in Baroque style and the purported inspiration for the opera Carmen.
The Plaza de España, in Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa), was built by the architect Aníbal González for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana. It is an outstanding example of Regionalist Revival Architecture, a bizarre and lofty mixture of diverse historic styles, such as Art Deco and Neo-Mudéjar and lavishly ornamented with typical glazed tiles.
In 1929 Seville hosted the Spanish-American Exhibition and numerous buildings were constructed for the exhibition in the celebrated Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa) design by Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier.The Plaza de España is an example of moorish styles, which helped create the U.S. Moorish Revival style era, was designed by Aníbal González. It was built on the Park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits.
Museums
Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares (Traditional Arts and Customs Museum)
The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville was established in 1835 in the former Convent of la Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo, Pacheco, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Sevillian School, containing also Flemish paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Other museums in Seville are:
The María Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa) contains two museums: the Archaeological Museum, which contains collections from the Tartessian and Roman periods, and the Museum of Traditional Arts and Customs.
The Andalusian Contemporary Art Center
The Army Museum
The Maritime Museum
The Carriages Museum
The Flamenco Art Museum
The Bullfight Museum
The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija contains many of the mosaic floors discovered in the nearby Roman town of Italica. Other structures that are now museums are the Casa de Pilatos and the "Centro Velázquez" located at the Old Priests Hospital.
Parks and gardens
Plaza de España
Isla Mágica
Parque de María Luisa was built for the 1929 World's Fair held in Seville, the Exposición Ibero-Americana, and remains landscaped with attractive monuments and museums.
The Alcázar Gardens, arranged to the back of the palace. They were planted and developed alongside the Alcázar throughout the centuries. Sheltered within the walls of the palace, they are laid out in terraces, and present variations of influences, styles and plants in each sector.
The Gardens of Murillo and the Gardens of Catalina de Ribera: alongside the wall of the Alcázar and next to the district of Santa Cruz.
La Isla Mágica, Cartuja Island, a theme park built on the site of the 1992 Universal Exposition of Seville.
Picture Source: www.turismo.sevilla.org
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