Seville - South of the cathedral Travel Guides | Seville | Sub Regions | Seville - South of the cathedral

Much of the area south of the cathedral is taken up with the large Parque María Luisa, donated to the city by the queen’s sister in the late 19th century. It was used as the site for the grandiose 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition, an event on a massive scale that the dictatorship hoped would re-establish Seville and Spain in the world spotlight. The legacy of the exhibition is a public park and a beautiful series of buildings that were the pavilions. The Plaza de España is an impressive space and the Hotel Alfonso XIII one of the most sumptuous in Spain. Two of the pavilions have been converted into outstanding museums and the whole area is much used for relaxing walks and picnics. It is also used by the university, whose main building is the massive old tobacco factory, second largest building in Spain and workplace of the fictional Carmen. A walk through this part of town provides a green break from urban Seville and a fascinating architectural ensemble from a period where lavish spending and blind optimism created buildings of astonishing cost and significant beauty just years away from a civil war that plunged the city and country into decades of poverty and monoculturalism.

Sights

C San Fernando 2, T 954 917 000, http://www.hotel-alfonsoxiii.com Bus C3, C4, 40.

This massive and elegant neo-Moorish hotel was built for the 1929 exhibition to put up the important visitors. It’s an indication of how grandiose a project the show was; seemingly every inch is tiled or marbled, and the furniture lacks little by comparison. The public can wander in to the central patio with its fountain or have a drink in the bar; it’s worth a look at the opulence that has made it one of Spain’s most famous hotels.

C San Fernando 4, T 954 551 000. Mon-Fri 0800-2030. Free. Bus C1, C2, C3, C4.

Visitors flocked to the cigarette factory in the late 19th century to see the girls at work, for it had been made famous by Carmen and other tales of the beauty of Seville’s womenfolk. It’s a massive building, Spain’s second-largest, and is surrounded by a fence and moat; tight security once aimed at stopping the workers nicking fags. Despite poor conditions, the workers can have had no complaints about the building itself, with numerous elegant hallways and courtyards that suit it perfectly to its new function as a university building. It’s a lively place to wander around; the crescendo of noise increases as you approach the centre of the matrix of corridors, and the lingering cigarette smoke adds an authentic touch.

Av de Roma s/n, T 954 597 505. Visits only by prior appointment. Free. Bus C3, C4, 40.

This elegant building is very typical of Sevillian baroque, red and yellow ochre in colour and built in the 17th and 18th centuries to train sea captains. It was chosen as a palace by Infanta María Luisa, sister of Isabel II, and her husband, the Duc de Montpensier before being given to the city in the late 19th century. It’s now the office of the premier of Andalucía and access to the interior depends if there’s a visit arranged; call and find out. Otherwise, admire the main façade, which is ornate without being kitsch. The columns are carved with mythical scenes and are topped by a pretty balcony.

Bus: C1, C2.

Around this area are the majority of the pavilions built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition. Mostly in use, they are fun to wander around. One has been converted into a discoteca, many are in use by the university, while the attractive Peruvian pavilion is the headquarters of the Parque Nacional Coto Doñana. The Teatro Lope de Vega is a lovely art nouveau/deco fusion among it all, while there are a few more worth checking out at the other end of Parque María Luisa, such as the Colombian (now the consulate) and Moroccan pavilions. The small tourist office on the roundabout predates the exhibition; it was once the gatehouse for the Palacio de San Telmo but was later made famous as the sewing room of the consumptive daughter of María Luisa, who married her first cousin Alfonso XII for love but died six months later in 1878.

Bus C1, C2.

This huge space was the pièce de resistance of the 1929 exhibition. Designed and planned as far back as 1913 by Aníbal González, the event’s master-architect, it was envisaged as a ‘second Giralda’, a symbol of a new dynamic Seville. The semicircular area is backed by a massive brick and marble building that curves around to two proud towers. A small canal was once used for leisurely rowing and is crossed by four bridges. It’s a popular spot at weekends, and despite being a little careworn and pigeon-soiled, it’s a good place to hang out. The most endearing feature is the row of benches, each one dedicated to one of Spain’s provinces. The buildings are used now for various goverment departments, but it’s no surprise that the stunning ensemble has been used in several films, including Lawrence of Arabia, and, most recently, Star Wars: The Attack of the Clones.

Daily 0800-2400 summer, 2200 winter. Free. Bus C1, C2, 30, 31, 33, 34.

This beautiful and peaceful space is Seville’s nicest park, again developed for the 1929 exhibition. It’s full of quiet corners, even on busy days, and a series of informative plaques detail the huge range of exotic trees and plants on show; parts of the park even feel like an authentic rainforest. Among the paths are numerous glorietas (little clearings) dedicated to famous Sevillian figures. There’s cycle hire available, as well as plenty of horse carriages to clop you around. There are also decent watering holes at each end, Citroën by the Plaza de España and Bilindo by the Plaza de América; both have a good terrace and do tasty tapas.

Parque de María Luisa s/n. Bus C1, C2.

The most famous of the park’s glorietas is near the Plaza de España and dedicated to the romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836-1870). His poems centred around love, frequently unrequited or anguished; he died at the age of 34 of pneumonia- related illnesses. The beautiful memorial is built around a tree and is often adorned with fresh flowers; his work is much loved in Spain. The three girls represent the stages of love (love found, in love, love lost) while behind them lies a fallen Eros with a dagger in his side.

Pl de América 3, T 954 232 576, http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/ cultura Tue 1500-2000, Wed-Sat 0900-2000, Sun 0900-1400. Free for EU citizens, E 1.50 others. Explanations in Spanish only. Bus 30, 31, 33, 34.

In the rather majestic (if a little decayed at the back) Mudéjar pavilion from the exhibition is an excellent museum, a cut above the dreary displays that this type of subject seems to produce all too often. The top floor is mostly devoted to what Sevillians wore through the centuries; there’s a good blend of period paintings and costumes themselves. In the massive basement there are many items of furniture and household use as well as reconstructions of typical workshops, including a guitar makers and a wine bodega whose smell permeates the level.

Pabellón de Bellas Artes, Pl de América s/n, T 954 232 401, http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura Tue 1400-2000, Wed-Sat 0900-2000, Sun 0900-1430, free for EU, E 1.50 otherwise. There are English summaries at the entrance to most rooms and a decent printed handout/guide. Bus 30, 31, 33, 34.

Seville’s archaeological museum should be good, considering the wealth of people that have lived and traded in the region since prehistoric times. And it doesn’t disappoint, with a rich Roman collection that holds its own for quality against Europe’s finest. Among a good selection of prehistoric finds and fossils the standout pieces are from the mysterious Tartessian culture; a people that lived in the Guadalquivir valley from about 1100 BC on. Their finest pieces, finely worked pottery, carved stone, and gold jewellery show clear influences from the Phoenicians, who began trading along this coast some time around 700 BC. Their principal goddess, Astarte, is represented in a good bronze. On the ground floor, after an imposing array of Iberian stone lions, come the Roman finds, mostly from nearby Itálica, but many also from the large necropolis at Carmona. There are several mosaics; one from Ecija depicting Bacchus and his leashed leopards, and a later one showing the Judgement of Paris with Aphrodite seemingly keen to win the contest. Among the excellent sculptures on display are a 2nd century AD headless Venus, striding out of the waves at the moment of her birth, a slightly later Diana, the emperor Trajan in full heroic mould, and an excellent likeness of the bearded Hadrian. There’s a collection of citizens’ portrait heads – a real rogues’ gallery – and a fascinating room full of bronze law scrolls. A curious ensemble of carved footprints rounds off an excellent collection.

Turn right out of the museum and straight across Avenida de la Borbolla up Calle Felipe II. This is the well-heeled residential district of El Porvenir. Few tourists make it here, but ask anyone around here what the city’s best tapas bar is, and they’ll say Joaquín Márquez, at number 8 on this street, for its excellent blend of the traditional and the innovative. There are several others around this area too.

Travel Guides | Seville | Sub Regions | Seville - South of the cathedral
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