Spain’s Seville: a city of flamenco, tapas and history

By DPA

Seville (Spain) : Seville’s huge cathedral is the city’s most dominant landmark. Finding the cathedral is not difficult; its high bell tower, the Giralda, is visible from most parts of the city.


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“Begin a tour of Seville up there,” recommends art student Alberto de Huelva as he points to a gallery on the tower about 70 metres above ground. “That will give you a good view of the city.”

As it turns out his advice is spot on. Instead of walking up narrow steps, visitors ascend using wide ramps.

Moors governed the city between 712 and 1248. They constructed a mosque and a minaret, which was later, integrated into the bell tower. Christians used the mosque’s foundations to build the cathedral of Maira de la Sede, the third largest church in Europe.

From the top of the tower you can see another relic from the city’s Muslim past: the cathedral’s orange tree orchard, which also dates from the time of the Moors.

The trees are a wonderful place to come in the summer to find shade when temperatures can rise to 40 degrees Celsius.

The Giralda is also a good place to glimpse Seville’s labyrinth of narrow streets. A circular building close to the banks of the Guadalquivir river is another of the city’s landmarks.

The Maestranza bull-fighting ring is located in Seville’s El Arenal district.

“It’s one of the most spectacular bull-fighting rings with its archways, balconies and portals,” says Mateo Maqueda, an avid fan of the controversial spectacle that is bull fighting.

From March to October every year the ring’s 18,000 seats are booked out. Seville’s flamenco establishments are also popular attraction for visitors.

Another Seville emblem is the Torre del Oro – the Gold Tower – on the city’s riverbank. It got its name from the gold coloured tiles that once adorned its facade but which have long since disappeared.

The tower houses a naval museum documenting the history of water transport and how it contributed to the city’s rise in wealth during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Seville’s decline as a trade centre came at the hands of a series of catastrophes including the arrival of the plague.

“The plague killed two-thirds of the city’s inhabitants in the middle of the 17th century,” says the historian Jose Maria de Mena.

An earthquake in 1755 destroyed a large part of Seville. One building that survived was the Alcazar, the home of the kings and Moorish rulers before them.

After the Moors were driven out, the Alcazar retained its Arab architectural style. Of special interest are the Alcazar’s gardens with palm, citrus and cypress trees.

Just like the cathedral and the Giralda, the Alcazar is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.

Anyone looking for the genuine spirit of Seville will find it in the old harbour district of Triana on the other side of the river, according to Maquedas.

There are many restaurants serving local dishes and – just like everywhere in Spain – guests don’t begin arriving until quite late.

Among the local specialities is Rabo de Toro – ox tail. “This very popular tapas has a cult following and originally came from Seville. Gazpacho is also a local dish,” says de Huelva.

Together with tapas, flamenco dancing and fiestas, the cold vegetable soup Gazpacho is something you’ll likely encounter on a visit to Seville.

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