Seville

Our Seville series covers all the popular sights – the cathedral, the palaces, the museums – and also helps you ‘meet’ those who made their mark here, whether real (Christopher Columbus, Laurie Lee) or fictional (Carmen, Don Juan) And we cover all the top Seville themes too, from flamenco and bull-fighting to tapas and Moorish architecture.

Here is the background information, history and culture you need to fully understand the city. In short, all the research you’d do yourself if only you had the time!

There’s a podcast for each episode and we are adding more written information to each post as fast as we can. So, let’s go, or as the Spanish say ‘Vamos!’

SEVILLE : HISTORY & CULTURE

Episode 1: Introduction to Seville

January 11, 2023

Bienvenida a Sevilla. This introduction to Seville introduces a melting-pot of a city with many cultures in its history: the glorious cathedral, centre of Christian heritage, sits bang opposite the atmospheric Alcazar, designed in the … Read more

Episode 2: The Alcazar – Seville’s Moorish Roots

February 22, 2023

The Alcazar is the heart of Moorish Seville, perhaps the most beautiful building in the city, although there’s strong competition. Its mix of Islamic, gothic and renaissance style is captivating and its beautiful gardens, again … Read more

Episode 3: Seville’s Cathedral, the Giralda and Santa Cruz

February 22, 2023

At the heart of Seville, three cultures overlap: the Moorish Alcazar Palace is just opposite the city’s enormous cathedral, where Christian heritage was built on Muslim foundations, some of which – parts of the mosque’s … Read more

Episode 4: The Golden Age of Seville

February 22, 2023

Sailing from Seville to discover the New World This post tells the story of the Golden Age of Seville, when explorers like Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan left the city to discover the New World … Read more

Episode 5: Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril

February 22, 2023

Seville’s two biggest annual festivals This post explains two of the most important weeks in Seville’s calendar, leading up to and just after Easter. The first is the Semana Santa (Holy Week in English), and … Read more

Episode 6: The Parks and Palaces of Seville

February 22, 2023

4 places to wind down in Seville This post is a wander through the main park and some of the palaces of Seville, indeed the city’s loveliest spots. You can enjoy shade and relaxation in … Read more

Episode 7: Triana, Seville

February 22, 2023

The ‘other’ side of the river Triana is the ‘other’ Seville, the lesser-visited part across the river which has an atmosphere all of its own. Very much a former working-class area, its roots are in … Read more

Episode 8: Bullfighting in Seville

February 22, 2023

Bullfighting is an integral part of Sevillian culture, whether you are for or against it. We look at the arguments on both sides, then learn a little history and some basic facts about bullfighting today. … Read more

Episode 9: Seville’s flamenco Tradition

February 22, 2023

The unique art-form which Seville has made its own Flamenco originated in Andalusia and has a long tradition in Seville. This post traces its roots in gypsy culture and explains all the aspects which combine … Read more

Episode 10: Art in Seville

February 22, 2023

Much of the most spectacular art in Seville dates from the ‘Siglo de Oro’, the ‘golden century’ when the city grew rich as the hub of New World exploration. This post begins with two ancient … Read more

Episode 11: Gastronomia in Seville

February 22, 2023

Tapas and other treats A Spanish proverb says that he whom the gods favour will eat in Seville. (‘A quien dios quiere bien, en Sevilla le da a comer’) This episode offers an overview of … Read more

Cover of Death and the Sun by Edward Lewine

Episode 12: Travel Writers on Seville

February 22, 2023

Glimpses of Seville, past and present First, some short quotations including one from Lord Byron, who famously praised the city for its ‘oranges and women’ and another from Jan Morris who wrote more poetically of … Read more

Episode 13: Stories of Seville

February 22, 2023

Fictional characters who make the city famous Hear stories about some of Seville’s best known fictional characters. We start with Cervantes’ low-life tricksters Rinconete and Cortadillo, operating in 16th century Seville. Then there’s Carmen, the … Read more

Seville Extra: A Virtual Visit to Seville

February 22, 2023

This virtual visit to Seville takes you on a tour of websites, YouTube videos and books which will bring the spirit of the city alive for you even if you can’t go there right now. … Read more