Seville (Spanish: Sevilla ; see also different names) is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos (feminine form: Sevillanas ) or Hispalenses . The population of the city of Seville was 699,759 as of 2008 (INE). The population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,450,214 as of 2009 (INE estimate), ranking as the fourth largest metropolitan area of Spain.
History
Seville is more than 2,000 years old. The passage of the various civilizations, instrumental in its growth, has left the city a distinct personality, and a large and well-preserved historical centre. Although with a strong medieval, renaissance and baroque heritage, the city received heavy influences from Arabic culture, which can be seen in the most famous monuments and places.
The city was known from Roman times as Hispalis . The nearby Roman city of Italica, a mainly residential city at the time, is well-preserved and gives an impression of how Hispalis may have looked in the later Roman period. Existing Roman features in Seville include the remnants of an aqueduct.
After successive conquests of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica by the Vandals and the Visigoths during the 5th and 6th centuries, the city was taken by the Moors in 712 and renamed Išbīliya (إشبيلية), derived from Hispalis, from which the present name "Sevilla" is derived. It was an important centre in Muslim Andalusia and it remained under Muslim control, under the authority of the Umayyad caliphate, the Almoravid empire and the Almohad dynasties, until falling to the Christian king Fernando III of Castile in 1248. The city, though, retains many Moorish features, including large sections of the city wall.
Following the Reconquest, the city's development continued, mainly due to its economical position, with the construction of public buildings including churches, many of which are in Mudéjar style. A royal residence, the alcazar, was built in a moorish lush style, and the huge gothic cathedral was built during the 15th century. Later, the city experienced another golden age of development brought about by the wealth accumulating from the awarding of a monopoly of trade within the Spanish territories in the New World (See Winds in the Age of Sail). Since only ships departing from Seville could go and come from the Spanish Americas, merchants of all the world went to Seville, as it was the gate to America, and its population growth to nearly a million people, to some accounts. However, when the monopoly was forced to be shared with Cádiz in the late 16th century, its importance started to decline, and after the silting up of the Guadalquivir river, the city went into relative economic decline.
The Great Plague of Seville in 1649 reduced the population by almost half, and it would not recover until the early 1800s.
Seville's development in the 19th and 20th centuries was characterised by population growth and increasing industrialisation.
Seville fell very quickly to General Franco's troops near the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 due to its proximity to the invasion force coming from Morocco. After the initial takeover of the city, resistance continued amongst the working class areas for some time, until a series of fierce reprisals took place.
Main sights
Monuments
The Cathedral of Seville was built from 1401–1519 after the Reconquista on the former site of the city's mosque. It is amongst the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals, in terms of both area and volume. The interior is the longest nave in Spain, and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the Giralda , originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. It is topped with a statue, known locally as El Giraldillo , representing Faith. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the Muezzin and others to ride on horseback to the top. The Alcázar facing the cathedral has developed from the city's old Moorish Palace; construction was begun in 1181 and continued for over 500 years, mainly in Mudéjar style, but also in Renaissance. Its gardens are a blend of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions.
The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty as watchtower and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port.
The Town Hall, built in the 16th century in Plateresque style by Diego de Riaño. The Facade to Plaza Nueva was built in the 19th century in Neoclassical style.
The University of Seville is housed in the original site of the first tobacco factory in Europe, La Antigua Fábrica de Tabacos , a vast 18th century building in Baroque style.
The Plaza de España was built by the architect AnÃbal González for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana, and is an outstanding example of Regionalist Architecture, a bizarre and lofty mixture of diverse historic styles and lavishly ornated with typical glazed tiles.
Museums
The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville was established in 1835 in the former Convent of la Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo, Pacheco, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Sevillian School, containing also Flemish paintings of the XV and XVI centuries.
Other museums in Seville are:
- The MarÃa Luisa Park contains two museums: the Archaeological Museum, which contains collections from the Tartessian and Roman periods, and the Museum of Traditional Arts and Costumes.
- The Andalusian Contemporary Art Center
- The Army Museum
- The Maritime Museum
- The Carriages Museum
- The Flamenco Art Museum
- The Bullfight Museum.
- The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija contains many of the mosaic floors discovered in the nearby Roman town of Italica.
- Other structures that are now museums are the Casa de Pilatos and the "Centro Velázquez" located at the Old Priests Hospital.
Parks and gardens
- Parque de MarÃa Luisa was built for the 1929 World's Fair held in Seville, the Exposición Ibero-Americana, and remains landscaped with attractive monuments and museums.
- The Alcázar Gardens, arranged to the back of the palace. They were planted and developed alongside the Alcázar throughout the centuries. Sheltered within the walls of the palace, they are laid out in terraces, and present variations of influences, styles and plants in each sector.
- The Gardens of Murillo and the Gardens of Catalina de Ribera: alongside the wall of the Alcázar and next to the district of Santa Cruz.
- La Isla Mágica, Cartuja Island, a theme park built on the site of the 1992 Universal Exposition of Seville
Other prominent parks and gardens include:
- Parque de los PrÃncipes
- Parque del Alamillo
- Parque Amate
- Parque Metropolitano de la Cartuja
- Jardines de las Delicias
- JardÃn Americano
- JardÃn Este
- Jardines de Cristina
- Jardines Chapina
- Jardines de la Buhaira
- Jardines de San Telmo
- Jardines del Guadalquivir
- Jardines del Valle
Climate
Seville has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Koppen climate classification Csa ), with Semi-arid climate (BSh) influences. The annual average temperature is 18.6 °C (65 °F), which makes this city one of the warmest in Europe.
- Winters are mild: January is the coolest month, with average maximum temperatures of 15.9 °C (61 °F) and minimum of 5.2 °C (41 °F).
- Summers are very warm: July is the warmest month, with average maximum temperatures of 35.3 °C (96 °F) and minimum temperatures of 19.4 °C (67 °F) and every year the temperature exceeds 40 °C (104 Â
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