Sevilla
lies on the banks of the Guadalquivir and is one of the largest
historical centres in Europe, it has the minaret of La Giralda,
the cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom), and the
Alcázar Palace. Part of its treasure include Casa de
Pilatos, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical
records of the American continent are kept), the Fine Arts
Museum (the second picture gallery in Spain) , plus convents,
parish churches and palaces.
It
has hosted two international exhibitions (1929 and 1992) and
is the administrative capital of Andalucía. The quarter
of Triana on the other side of the river, La Macarena, Santa
Cruz and San Bartolomé, the street of Las Sierpes,
plus La Maestranza bullring, María Luisa park and the
riverside walks are all representative images of Sevilla.
One
of the main attractions of the province of Seville, is the
capital itself, in the first place, obviously,for it's monuments
and architecture,that reflect centuries of culture and the
great number of different people (romans, arabs, jews, gypsies)
that left their mark. |
But
culture is not only expressed in buildings, it is also found
in centuries old folkloric traditions. In Semana Santa (Holy
Week), the streets of the old center of Seville convert into
the giant open air stage of the spectacular easter processions
for a week.
Only two weeks later to be followed by April Fair. Seville is
also the birthplace Flamenco, that also have several centuries
of history.
Another event that take place in Sevilla is the famous Opera
Carmen by Georges Bizet, that use the dramatic original surroundings,
the Plaza de España and the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza.
April fair
Seville's April Fair started
as a cattle fair in 1847, thanks to local support from José
María Ybarra and Narciso Bonaplata, who in turn with
the help of city hall, got the support of Queen Isabel the
Second. It began the Prado de San Sebastián and started
with 19 casetas (circus-type tents), in an area at the time
considered the outskirts of the city. It was such a success
with the locals so that in 1950 they had to separate the cattle
market from the festivities. Starting in the twenties it had
appeared as it dos today. It's nothing more than an artificial
city whose blocks are made of tents.
On the south side of the Puente
de la Barqueta (bridge), which crosses the Río Guadalquivir,
there is a canvas city known as Real de la Feria. There, over
1000 brightly-coloured marquees are covered in decorations
and paper lanterns, becoming a temporary home to thousands
of revellers, packed day and night with flamenco dancers.
Many marquees are hired out to private functions, hosted by
families, clubs and companies alike. These require you to
have an invitation, but there are plenty of others and you
can roam freely - all have their own bars.
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At night, make sure
you seek out some of the many flamenco events on offer. The
majority run up until 9am the next morning, so time is not an
issue. Some sevillanos choose to turn up clad head-to-toe in
flamenco costume and find no problem dancing all night. Try
learning a trick or two from them.
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