Seville
 
 
Located on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, Seville is the most populated city in southern Spain, with its name associated with such literary names as Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro.

The ancient city highlights many flowered courtyards, drawn up by hidden doors and richly decorated facades.

Its streets are characterized by a very festive atmosphere and a continuing influx of people into and out of the tapas bars in the neighborhoods of Santa Cruz or Triana.

A walk through the gardens of the Reales Alcázares, cross the river to visit the lively district of Triana or climb the Giralda, from where you can enjoy spectacular views of the city, are things that must be done in this city, where the streets have become very culturally diverse.

Among its most famous monuments, the Giralda, the Torre del Oro, the Alcazar and the Archive of the Indies were all declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987.  It has also what is considered the second best Spanish art gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts.

Despite being some 80 km away from the sea, the Guadalquivir river is navigable from its mouth at Sanlucar de Barrameda to Seville.

The Romans conquered the region and founded the colony of Italica (you can still visit their ruins).

In the V century the city was taken successively by several Germanic invaders before the Visigoths gained control, as with most of the peninsula, until the eighth century.

In 711 the Arabs, with an army of 18,000 men, crossed the strait, and conquered the Visigoth territory.

After more than five centuries of Muslim rule it was not until 1247 that the Christian king, Ferdinand III of Castile, began the reconquest of Andalusia.  The following year, Ferdinand III came victorious in Seville.

The sixteenth century is the monumental century for excellence in Seville, the most important buildings of the historic center are of this era, certainly for the relevance that the city took as the main gateway for goods arriving from the new world.

In 1992 the World Expo was held in Seville for six months, which significantly improved network infrastructure and communications.


Torre del Oro of Seville