Metropol Parasol
My third and final stop in the country of España, was in the city of Sevilla. The picture above captures my sentiments about this city. I do indeed love Sevilla (Seville, in English).
Sevilla is the fourth largest city in Spain, following Madrid and Barcelona, which I posted about recently, and Valencia, which I hope to visit someday. Sevilla is also home to the world's largest, gothic cathedral, the world's largest, freestanding wooden structure, and it has more orange trees than any other city in the world. Exploring Sevilla was a pleasure and an adventure. Below are some of the city's sitios, (or sites), that really captured my attention, and some of the reasons why this city captured my heart.
Alleyways of Barrio Santa Cruz
Whether the streets of Sevilla are virtually empty, ...
... or bustling, ...
Giralda
... and whether it's morning, ...
... or evening, ...
Iglesia de San Pedro
... Sevilla ...
Fuente de Puerta de Jerez
... is simply magical!
Monumento a la Inmaculada Concepcion
First, as you have seen in this, and preceding pictures, there are charming plazas, quaint alleyways, an elegant bell tower, beautiful statues, calming fountains, historical churches, and ...
... everywhere you turn, there are orange trees.
They are in the parks ...
... and around the fountains ...
... and in the plazas.
Azahar
What this means (aside from copious amounts of fresh oranges to eat) is that if you come during the right time of year, as I fortuitously did, the trees are brimming with "azahar" or "orange blossoms," and the scent is simply intoxicating. It literally wafts throughout every outdoor space and perfumes the city in the most alluring way.
Torre de Oro
On my first day in Sevilla, I wandered throughout the city, taking in the scent of azahar until I reached the riverfront, where I began my official tour. There, I found the Torre de Oro, or the Tower of Gold, which was built in the 12th century by the Almohads. The tower is built on the Guadalquivir river and was designed as a military watchtower to protect the docks.
As to the origin of the name, I heard two different stories. The first is that the name references stores of gold which were once kept inside. The second is that the building was once covered with tiles that caught the sun and flashed like gold. Today the tower stands as the last remnant of the Moorish walls that once surrounded the city.
From the banks of the Guadalquivir river, I jumped on a boat to cruise up and down the waterway for a different perspective and a relaxing ride.
Torre Sevilla
My boat cruise took me past another tower. The Torre Sevilla is a 37-story skyscraper that was completed in 2015 and is the tallest building in Andalusia. Locals affectionately refer to it as the "Lipstick Tower," due to its shape.
Puente del Alamillo
The river cruise also took me beneath many, gorgeous bridges. My favorite was the Alamillo Bridge which was created for the 1992 Seville Expo. The 656-foot, angled bridge is simply eye-catching. To me, it looks like a portion of a harp, suspended above the water.
Plaza de España
After disembarking the boat, I made my way onto a bus which took me on a continued tour of the city. My first stop was at the Plaza de España, Sevilla's most famous square and my favorite, outdoor space in the city. The Plaza de España is one of the many pavillions that were built for the 1929 World's Fair. This plaza was intended to be the Fair's centerpiece.
Canals of the Plaza de España
The plaza, which is the size of five football fields, dwarfs the other, nearby pavillions. The Plaza de España is filled with colorful azulejos (painted ceramic tiles), a grand, central fountain, bridges, balconies, and my favorite, a canal where you can row boats.
It is this final feature that has this plaza dubbed, "the Venice of Seville."
Standing in the middle of the plaza, the moment and the surroundings were so romantic, I half expected "Con Te Partirò" to start playing in the background, like it did when I was visiting Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid. Incidentally, if you are a Star Wars fan, you may recognize the Plaza de España from scenes in Attack of the Clones.
Palacio de San Telmo
This baroque palace dates back to 1682. The building was originally a maritime academy and orphanage for seafarers. During the French occupation, it became the palace of the Count of Montpensier, a hospital and a theological seminary. The size of this building was impossible to capture in a photograph. I hope this video does both the size and the beauty of this edifice justice.
Torre Triana
When I glimpsed this circular monstrosity from across the river on my boat cruise, I assumed it was some sort of sports arena. In fact, this is a government, administrative building which was constructed in 1993.
Basilica de la Macarena
This gold and white building might not look like much from the outside, but inside is what many consider Sevilla's greatest treasure -- the Virgin of Hope or La Macarena. The La Macarena is a statue of a weeping, Virgin Mary that holds great significance during the city's Semana Santa celebrations that occur during Sevilla's Holy Week; the week leading up to Easter. A service was taking place when I visited the church, so I was unfortunately unable to capture pictures of the statue or any of the beautiful frescoes inside.
Metropol Parasol
Metropol Parasol is the largest, free standing, timber structure ever built. The four-level landmark consists of four parasols that look like mushrooms. As a result, the structure is most commonly referred to as "Las Setas de Sevilla" or the "Mushrooms of Seville."
El Mirador
If you climb up the walkway, you will find a viewpoint with 360-degree views of the city of Seville. This gorgeous lookout was the last stop on my bus tour. From here, I headed back to the Santa Cruz neighborhood, where I was staying.
Barrio de Santa Cruz is the former, Jewish quarter of the city. It is the primary tourist center of Sevilla, sure to capture any traveler's heart with its charming squares, maze of narrow streets and alleys and home to the next two places I visited during my stay.
Catedral de Sevilla
The first is the Cathedral of Seville, the largest, gothic church in the world.
La Giralda
The cathedral's most important and recognizable feature is La Giralda, the bell tower. It surprised me to find out that the Giralda tower was originally built between 1184 and 1198 by the Arabs to be the minaret of a mosque. At the end of the Arab occupation, the mosque was converted to a cathedral and the minaret to the bell tower, known today as Giralda.
The Giralda bell tower is the most recognized symbol of the city of Sevilla and can be seen from just about everywhere in Santa Cruz, including this rooftop restaurant where I enjoyed a glass of wine with friends.
The name "Giralda" means "she who turns," a reference to the weather vane that sits on top of the tower. The weather vane, which is a bronze statue named “El Giraldillo,” was installed in 1568 by the church to represent triumphant faith.
The Seville Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Inside the church, you will find the longest nave among all of Spain's cathedrals.
The church also has more than 200 depictions of saints, ...
... statues and reliefs ...
... large pipe organs ...
... and approximately 75 stained-glass windows ...
... that were created between the 16th and the 19th centuries.
Just across the square from the Seville Cathedral is the Real Alcázar de Sevilla, or the Royal Alcázar of Seville, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Real Alcázar is a compound of palaces.
The various palaces were constructed during different historical periods, combining elements from Gothic, Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture.
El Patio del las Doncellas
El Patio del las Doncellas or the Courtyard of the Maidens, combines Castilian and Islamic design. It is said to be the most popular and most photographed place on the grounds.
Patio de las Munecas
The Patio de las Munecas or the Courtyard of the Dolls was my favorite space because of the ceiling. The fully transparent, Neo-Renaissance design made me think of a giant, emerald cut diamond, with perfect, rectangular facets, hanging overhead.
Painting in the House of Trade
The House of Trade, another area on the grounds, was created after the colonization of the Americas, to control trade with the region.
What I found most impressive in the room was the ceiling. The color casts a warm, golden hue over the space and the repetition of the intricate pattern complements other elements in the room including the equally detailed tile work.
Salón de Embajadores
The Hall of Ambassadors is one of the most impressive sites on the grounds, mostly because of this lavish dome that was built in 1427. The dome, which incorporates geometric, star patterns, was created to look like the night sky.
Step outside and you will find extensive gardens.
The gardens at the Royal Alcázar contain over 20,000 plants and plenty of beautiful fountains and reflecting ponds.
If you have never been to the Real Alcázar, but find it somehow familiar, you wouldn't be alone. The grounds have been used to film season five of the television show, Game of Thrones, as well as scenes from several movies.
That concludes my tour of the sitios of Sevilla. Next up is my last post about Sevilla and this trip to Spain.