Sevilla

Sevilla – Andalusia

Sevilla is located in the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula, in the centre of Andalucia.

Sevilla, capital of Andalusia, is the fourth city in Spain with regard to the number of inhabitants. It has 704.114 people in the urban district and the total population in the capital of the province is 1.758.720 inhabitants distributed in an area of 14.042 km2. Sevilla can be considered the artistic, cultural, financial, economic and social centre in the south of Spain.

It is only 6 metres above sea level, in the Fertile Plain and Countryside of river Guadalquivir, and on the Banks of this, it shapes an urban sprawl that spread over Aljarafe, The Marshes (Las Marismas), the National Park of Doñana, the North Sierra and South Sierra.

Sevilla was the mythical city of Tarsis that was established by Hercules and was transferred to his son Híspalo, from that it has its ancient name: Híspalis.

Its origins go back to the VIII century before Christ, during Tartessus Period starting from a village called Ispal. In this village was dealt with Greek, Carthaginian and Phoenician navigators. It was destroyed in II century before Christ in the wars between Carthaginians and Romans. When the Punic Wars finished it was reconstructed and called Híspalis.

During the Roman Age it belonged to Later Hispania and it passed to the Baetica after the administrative division of the emperor Diocleciano.

When Roman Empire fell in 428 the Vandals attacked the city and they destroyed many buildings, but later they were expelled by Goths. In 573 Leovigildo occupied the city. In this time we can mention some outstanding figures like San Leandro and San Isidoro, who was the author of The Etymologies (Las Etimologías).

During Al-Andalus time, for the first years of VIII century the Arabs arrived under the command of the general Musa ibn Nusayr and transformed Sevilla in one of the most beautiful cities of Al-Andalus from that it started to be known like Isbiliyya.

In IX century Normans attacked Sevilla provoking important damages and is Abderramán II the one who expelled them and fortifies the city. From 1013 the city shows an important period of prosperity thanks to faction kingdoms.

From 1086 Almoravids also stayed in the city and from 1144 were Almohads those who stayed there. It has its economic splendor because of the trade with North Africa. It was built the big mosque, The Giralda.

In 1248 Fernando III carried out the Christian conquest.

The discovery of America gives to Sevilla a new impulse. In 1503 it is founded the House of Hiring in order to control the coming and going of people and goods of America. The port makes the city more prosperous and this prosperity has an influence on the architecture, images and painting. It is transformed into one of the most important cities in the West.

Because of the increase in the size of the boats and its draught it started to be hard to come in through river Guadalquivir, and at the beginning of XVIII century, all American commerce is supervised by Cádiz, and with this Sevilla suffers a decline.

During XIX century Sevilla is known internationally through the stories told by many travelers who visited it.

With the celebration of the Latin-American Exhibition in 1929, during XX century started its modernization, creating a town planner infrastructure according to present-day.

Towards the end of the seventies the democracy is established and Sevilla is proclaimed capital of Autonomous Region of Andalucía.

Seville Monuments