A Visit to Seville

Greek legend puts forth the thesis that Seville was founded by Hercules on six stone columns, but archeological evidence points to an early bronze age settlement (apparently built on wooden posts) some 10-11 centuries ago. These early Iberians were later displaced first by Phoenicians, then the Romans after the battle of Illipa in 256 BC during the Second Punic War. Nearby Itálica became the first major Roman city in Spain - and the birthplace of the emperors, Hadrian and Trajan.

By about 50 BC, Hispalis (Seville) had become one of the major cities of Bética (Roman Andalusia), and was Christianized during the later stages of the Empire. The city was sacked by the Vandals in 426 AD, and later came under the less violent regime of the Visigoths. The Moors took the city in 711 AD, and converted it into a prosperous Moorish center called Isbiliya (from which the name Seville is derrived). Islamic Isbiliya lasted until the Christian reconquest by Fernando III of Castilla in 1248.

Seville was the center of operations during the Spanish expansion in the New World - in fact it created a monopoly and was the only city allowed to trade with the Americas. To this day, treasure hunters search the records of the monopoly's "Archivo de Indias" to find clues to the whereabouts of lost treasure galleons.

Seville owes much of its charm to history, and you can see and feel elements of it throughout the city - with the Roman ruins of Itálica, and where Moorish, early Christian and New World expansion era architecture and monuments abound.

Getting there

• By air
  Seville's San Pablo Airport, completely renovated in 1992 for Expo '92, is some 12 kilometers east of the city center. For transport to the city, there are taxis as well as the more economical city bus.
• By train & bus
  The city's major train station: Santa Justa links the city with all major Spanish cities - including the high-speed "AVE" train with 2 1/2 hr service from Madrid. Train schedules and other information is available at RENFE (Spanish National Railway System) Web Site. There are buses connecting to both regional and national destinations from the El Prado de San Sebastian and Plaza de Armas stations.
• By road
  Thanks to the work done getting ready for Expo '92, Seville boasts a new ring-road and good highway links to Malaga, Córdoba, and Madrid.
  • N-IV Córdoba-Jaen-Madrid
  • A-92 Málaga-Granada-Murcia-Alicante-Barcelona
  • A-4 Cádiz-Jerez
  • A-49 Huelva-Portugal (Algarve)

  Transportation

  • Bus: Seville offers good bus service in and around the city.
  • Taxi: There are taxis stands and circulating taxis all over the city. Rates are reasonable, but not cheap.

  Where to stay and what to do

  While Seville's Atlantic climate might be described as temperate, the humidity combined with cool winters and very high summer temperatures, can make the weather pretty uncomfortable at certain times of the year. Filled with parks, trees, quaint plazas and spectacular monuments, Seville is a truly beautiful place to visit. Since the major renovations for Expo '92, finding a hotel room not usually a problem. There's so much to see that it's never easy to know where to start. One of my favorites is the old Jewish quarter in the "Barrio de Santa Cruz", where narrow streets wind among whitewashed buildings, many with beautiful patios, and picturesque little parks and plazas. But don't let my personal views influence things too much, take a look at this indexed map, then take your pick of what really interests you: Seville Guide, nightlife, and more.

  Also, there are two truly big events in Seville each year, the famous Semana Santa (Easter Week) processions; and the Feria de Abril (April Fair), just after Easter. Be advised that hotels can be very hard to come by for both, and invitations (which are required) to the Feria are not always available.

  Information Links for Seville

  Information About Seville
  From the Guide to Andalusia with lots of good information on the city of Seville.
  
  Sevilla in Cyberspain
  The excellent Cyberspain Guide offers a good overview of the historic city of Seville.
  
  Sevilla On Line
  One of the most complete online guides to Seville with good information, maps, hotels, and so on.
  
  Seville: All About Spain Guide
  Another fine Web guide for visitors to Seville with information on the city, sightseeing, restaurants, nightlife, and more.
  
  Rough Guide
  From the Apa Group, a well constructed, informative guide to Spain: destinations, maps & more.
  
  VS Seville links
  Check Visit Spain's growing list of Seville information links.