In Seville live more than 800000 extrovert people indulged in flamenco, bull-fighting, processions, fiestas and tapas. The city centre resembles a scenic mosaic. Here every next square is even more attractive than the previous one, with a Baroque church and orange trees. The humble niches with relics of different saints and secluded patios, paved by clay plates suggest a hidden life in solitude but the general feeling is for bleakness and festivity. The charm of Seville has a negative reverse side too - the inevitable commercializing of its historic centre. You should avoid the tourist restaurants and watch for your wallet, bag and camera in Barrio de Santa Cruz. Relax and enjoy the easy-going everyday life in the shops, markets and bars which work till dawn.
It can be said that the history of Seville starts with the Romans. The well preserved remains of the ancient Roman city of Italica - the birthplace of emperors Trajan and Hadrian, are situated 10 km north-west of Seville. The ruins of Hispalis, the Roman city on the site of nowadays Seville, include an aqueduct (best preserved at Callejon del Agua in Barrio de Santa Cruz) and the columns of a temple bearing statues of Hercules and Julius Ceasar (on Alameda de Hercules Avenue). Hercules is the legendary founder of Seville and Julius Ceasar - the real one. The Moors came here in 711 AD and 4 centuries after that the golden age of Seville began. This happened during the reign of the Almohad dynasty, who not only built the minaret Giralda but also created a new architectural style called Mudejar, which had a large influence on the architecture of that time throughout Andalucia and Southern Spain. The sumptuous royal palace Reales Alcazares, Casa de Pilatos and the endless lined walls of Seville are a brilliant example of great art mastery, well preserved until present day.
The end of the Moorish golden age was in 1248 when the king of Castile Fernando III conquered Seville from the Moors. In 15th century, after Columbus found
America, Seville reached a new golden age. The Atlantic Ocean is only 90 km away along the navigable River Guadalquivir and the harbour of Seville is the
starting point for the voyages of Fernando Magellan, Christopher Columbus and other famous navigators. The unnumbered treasures they brought back were used
for the construction of many monuments in the city. During 20th century Seville was the home of the important events – the Ibero-American Exhibition in 1929
and the International Exhibition in 1992. The building of the first one has been preserved with its original features but the post-modernistic architecture
of the second one does not deserve any special attention.
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