Seville Spain - Calle Sevilla City Alcazar Catedral Online Travel Tour<<>> Seville is the capital of Andalusia and its biggest city. But to find the true calle Sevilla Spain you need to look for a shell marker on a building on calle Jose Gestoso. You will then be standing at the center of the what was the old city.
The Cathedral, which is one of the largest, is a major landmark and the Catedral Sevilla travellers arrive in their droves. The Alcazar Sevilla is another tourist hot spot and well worth a visit. These monuments together with the minaret tower Giralda helps you to understand something of Seville’s past. Seville has been a trading town going back to Greek, Carthaginian and Phoenician traders with its origins date to the eight-century B.C. Destroyed because of wars between Carthaginians and Romans in the second century it was reconstructed by the Romans at the end of the Punic wars and reamed Hispalis. It then became a major port, on the Guadalquivir river, which was navigable to the Atlantic Ocean. When the Roman Empire fell, the vandals, then the goths ruled it. In the early eighth century A.D, the Arabs made Seville into one of the most beautiful cities of Al-Andalus and it became known as Isbiliyya.
From 1013 A.D the alcazar Sevilla enjoyed a period of prosperity and the Great Mosque was built, as was the Giralda tower.
In 1248 A.D the conquest by the Christians took place and by the fourteenth Centenary it was a very important and influential place. The discovery of America was another important point in its history when in 1503 it was awarded a monopoly on trade between the two countries. The Casa de Contratación (Contract House) was founded to check all persons and goods travelling to or from America. Because of this it rapidly became one of the richest cities.
However in 1649 a plague claimed the lives of half the population and the river became silted-up being less navigable for the increasingly big ships of the day and the port went into decline. In 1717 the contract house controlling commerce with America, was transferred to Cádiz. And again in 1800 another plague killed 13,000 people.
In old Seville you can still spend hours meandering through the narrow and winding medieval calles. A great way to get an overview of the city is to catch the tourist bus. A 3 or 7-day tourist pass will give you unlimited bus rides. The C5 route is popular because it takes you to the major sightseeing points and through some of Seville's oldest neighborhoods.
Two things it is famous for is flamenco and bullfighting so why not watch a bullfight in the Plaza de Toros, considered to be one of the finest rings in Spain, one of the oldest and the most important in the world. The bullring immortalized in Bizet's Carmen accommodates 14,000 spectators. If you think bull fighting wrong then look out some flamenco. Flamenco shows are available everywhere, from popular tourist shows with dinner to the more informal and spontaneous flamenco in local bars. You can great advice on tours in Sevilla online but
to maximise your visit it is worth getting a good guidebook.
The Torre del Oro, which was, constructed in the first half of the thirteenth century. Some say it was called the Tower of Gold because it was covered in golden tiles that reflected the sun. And others say, it was because it was where all the gold from the Americas was unloaded.
The Casa de Pilatos, built mainly in the 16th century and is a blend of Italian Renaissance and Spanish Moor styles. The Plaza de España, built in 1929 to showcase Spain's economic activity makes for a wonderful night time visit when the fountains and buildings are lit up.
The Saint Telmo Palace, built in 1682 and named after St. Telmo, the patron saint of navigators. It served as a marine university, training pilots, navigators and high-ranking officers.
The Archivo de las Indias is where the historical records of the Americas are stored.
The Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) was founded in 1469 as a market for oil.
The Fábrica de Tabacos (Tobacco Factory) again famous from the Carmen story.
The Basilica de la Macarena houses the most revered image in Seville, "The Virgin of Hope" which locals call La Macarena. La Macarena is the patron saint of matadors.
The Fine Art Museum, which is the second largest picture gallery in Spain.
The Cartuja island and monastery that is now the Museum of Contemporary Andalusian Art.
The Palacio de Lebrija, the Museum of Archaeology houses some wonderful mosaics.
Italica Roman ruins with connections to the Roman Emperors Trajan and Hadrian, which are just outside the city.
Savilla online information is good and helpful to plan your itinerary but it is nothing like a real visit.
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