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Location Information:
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
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
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