Spanish Courses in Seville

SEVILLE

Seville is located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in the center of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

Seville, capital of Andalusia, is the fourth largest city in Spain in regards to number of inhabitants. The total population, including the province, is 1,758,720 inhabitants. Seville is considered to be the artistic, cultural, economic and social center of Andalusia.

Photos of Seville.

A BIT OF HISTORY

Seville’s history is closely connected to that of the Guadalquivir River. To the present day, all research notes that the city was founded by the Tartessos in the 8th century BC, upon raised land beside the Guadalquivir River, and its name was Ispal. Later, Phoenetians, Greeks and Carthinians came. In 205 AD it was the Romans who proclaimed the city as the Betis province, later named Hispalis.

In 712 AD Hispalis was conquered by the Muslims and was rebaptised this time as Isibilya. Between the 11th and 12th centuries, the Almoravids arrived (North African Muslims of the Berber family). It was a flourishing age for business and architecture. It was during this age when Isbiliya reached its greatest splendor. The Mezquita Mayor (Greatest Mosque) was built, whose minarette is the symbol of the city, the Giralda.

In 1248 the Christians defeated the Muslims and King Fernando III of Castille established his court in Seville. The reign of King D. Pedro of the Medieval Age stands out for his building of a Mudejar Palace (14th century) on the walled grounds of the old Islamic Alcázar.

The discovery of America in 1492 later meant great prosperity for Seville; in 1502 the Catholic Kings founded the casa de contratación, it was the place where they directed and contracted voyages to oversee the riches coming from the New World.

This fact meant new, great urban expansion for Seville, as can be seen by construction of the Cathedral, the Casa de Pilatos, the Casa de las Dueñas, the Colegiata del Salvador and the already named Casa de Contratación (now where the Archivo General de Indias is located).

The 17th century gave birth to universal artistic figures although unfortunately, economically American trade was diverted progressively towards Cadiz. The Pasión Brotherhoods who took their religious statues out to parade them in a disorganized fashion, became regulated creating the Official Parade Route: the obligatory itinerary for all of them by which they must parade in order, determined by seniority.

The Semana Santa (Holy Week) was forming which, united with profound religiousness, gave rise to such figures as Montañés, Murillo, Zurbarán and Valdés Leal whose works we can find in the Fine Arts Museum and distributed among various parishes. Important religious buildings were contructed: the church of la Caridad, el Salvador and the impressive San Luís de los Franceses. In all of these proceedings Leonardo de Figueroa was present, the greatest figure of Baroque in Seville.

In the 18th century found construction of a new Tobacco Factory, an industrial building which was the setting of the adventures of Carmen the Cigarrera which became world famous. Another setting for this same work also began to be built, although it was not completed until the following century, the Real Maestranza Bull Ring.

Seville would have to wait for the 20th century to be splendorous once again, the 1929 World’s Fair, along with the 1992 Universal Exposition (especially the second) served as a platform to fame and a worldwide launch of Seville as a modern city and a political and business center in Andalusia.

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