Sevilla
History and Overview
Roman Hispalis, in the province of Hispania Baetica, became Isbiliyyah under the Moors. Though Greeks and Romans repeated a founding myth connected with Heracles' visit to the Hesperides the historical site was occupied by the Tartessos in the 8th or 9th century BCE. Later it was a trading colony occupied by the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians, who destroyed the city in 216 BCE. In 206 BCE, Scipio Africanus founded Italica nearby, to settle his wounded veterans, and began the reconstruction of Hispalis.
The architecture of the older parts of the city still reflects the centuries of Moorish control of the city, beginning in 711. After a brief independence as one of the taifa principalities, from 1023 to 1091, when it was the seat of the Abbadids while the Caliphate of Cordoba collapsed, Sevilla then fell to the Reconquista of Ferdinand III of Castile in 1248.
Sevilla was governed from Cordoba but as a port it retained strategic importance: Emir Abd ar-Rahman II built a fleet and arsenal at Sevilla in the mid-9th century.
Sevilla the port
The city sits well inland, but a mere 6 meters above sea level. Sevilla was long an important sea port, prior to the silting up of the Guadalquivir. Amerigo Vespucci died in Sevilla. From Sevilla Ferdinand Magellan obtained the ships for his circumnavigation. Much of the Spanish Empire's silver from the New World came to Europe in the Spanish treasure fleet that landed in Sevilla, and Sevilla holds the most important archive of the Spanish administration in the Americas (the Archivo General de Indias). The American riches made it a magnet for people around Spain, ranging from latifundia nobles and foreign merchants (who were brokered by Spanish cargadores) to an active crime scene, pictured in the picaresque genre. The American silver was rapidly transhipped to Antwerp or Genoa, seat of the bankers who had advanced steady funds to the Spanish Crown. Other treasures of the Americas passed first through Sevilla: the first commercial shipment of chocolate from Veracruz arrived in Sevilla in 1585
Sevilla was a stronghold of the liberals during the Spanish Civil War, 1820-1823.
Due to its proximity to Africa, during the Spanish Civil War, Sevilla fell soon to the insurgent army led by Francisco Franco.
Modern Sevilla
Sevilla was the home of Expo 92 World's Fair. The showpiece Alamillo bridge spanning the Guadalquivir designed by Santiago Calatrava, was built for this occasion. Sevilla hosted the European Summit in June 2002; this was met with a counter-summit by those opposing neoliberalism and the tightening of European regulations on immigration. The final assemblage and the test flights of the Airbus A400M military aircraft will be done in the new EADS Spain plant built near the San Pablo Airport.
Today Sevilla is a stronghold of the socialists (PSOE). In the 2004 Spanish general election, they had a majority of 30.4% over their nearest rivals - higher than in any other Spanish provincial capital city. The mayor of Sevilla is Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín.
Sights
The city's cathedral was built from 1401–1519 after the Reconquista on the former site of the city's mosque. It is the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals, in terms of both area and volume. The interior, with the longest nave in Spain, 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 representing Faith. The Giralda is the city's most famous symbol.
The Alcázar facing the cathedral is the city's old Moorish Palace; construction was begun in 1181. Additional construction continued for over 500 years.
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 Parque Maria Luisa was built for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana World's Fair, and remains landscaped with attractive monuments and museums.
Festivals
The Easter Holy week, "Semana Santa", and the Sevilla Fair, "La Feria de Sevilla" (also Feria de Abril, "April Fair") are the two most well-known of Sevilla's festivals. Sevilla is internationally renowned for the solemn but beautiful processions during Semana Santa, and the colourful and lively fair held two weeks after. During Feria families set up casetas or tents in which they spend the week dancing, drinking and socializing with their whole extended families. The women wear elaborate flamenco dresses and the men dress in their best suits. The fair grounds are set up like a type of village in which each street is named after a famous torero, or bull fighter.
Cakes and Sweet Pastry from Sevilla
Typical of this province are polvorones and mantecados from the town of Estepa, a sort of shortcake made with almonds, sugar and lard; Pestiños, a honey-coated sweet fritter; Roscos fritos, deep-fried sugar-coated ring doughnuts; magdalenas or fairy cakes; yemas de San Leandro, made by nuns in the city's convents, providing the convents with a source of revenue; and Tortas de aceite, a thin sugar-coated cake made with olive oil. All of these are consumed throughout the year.
Places of Interest
- Sevilla City Centre(Historical Centre & Great Shopping)
- Donana National Parque (Excellent Wildlife and Birdlife)
- Italica (The first Roman Town in Spain)
- Carmona, Ecija, Osuna & Estepa (Historical and Architectural Towns of Importance)
- El Rocio (Nearly a million pilgrims descend on the village on the 7th Weekend after Easter)
- Jerez de la Frontera (Bodega Tours & Very Historical Centre)
History and Overview courtesy of www.wikipedia.org
