Seville City - Fascinating Fact 9

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 9

By Fiona Flores Watson

9) ORANGES AND LEMONS

There´s a saying that Sevillanos are so astonished the British actually want to use their bitter oranges to make marmalade, that they reckon the pith is secretly used to make gunpowder. If you have ever made the mistake of biting into one of the oranges from Seville´s tens of thousands of trees when visiting, you will understand why. They are not ´table´ oranges, designed for eating. In any case, Seville orange marmalade is considered the finest type in Britain and beyond, even if Sevillanos don´t appreciate it.

Seville´s orange trees are as much an integral part of the landscape as the Gothic archways of its churches, and the fans and Sevillana dresses in its shop windows. The oranges themselves appear in December and January, and are followed by the sweet-scented white blossom (its essence, neroli, used in perfumes such as Agua de Sevilla, has anti-depressant properties) in March and April, filling Seville with an improbably fragrant and incredibly romantic spring atmosphere.

In addition, a new plan by the municipal water company, Emasesa, is using juice from the city's oranges to power its waste water treatment centre. The orange juice is fermented, generating methane, with 1000kg of fruit producing 50kWh of energy.

Seville City - More Fascinating Facts

• Fact 1 - Sevillano pride and predudice.
• Fact 2 - Sevilla on the sliver screen.
• Fact 3 - Anyone for tapas?
• Fact 4 - Three Roman emperors were born just outside Seville.
• Fact 5 - Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition in Seville.
• Fact 6 - Seville's sign of the times.
• Fact 7 - The Cathedral-Colombus controversy.
• Fact 8 - The six bridges of Seville's Expo.
• Fact 9 - Oranges and Lemons.
• Fact 10 - Two faces of Seville.
• Seville City - Fascinating Facts - Home

Oranges

The perfect start to the day with freshly squeezed juice and Seville orange marmalade.

Orange Marmalade Recipe

There´s a saying that Sevillanos are so astonished the British actually want to use their bitter oranges to make marmalade, that they reckon the pith is secretly used to make gunpowder. If you… More →

"Seville oranges" in spring with orange blossom (azahar) in bloom

Seville Oranges

One of Seville’s most amazing attractions can be enjoyed free of charge as you walk the streets: more than 14,000 bitter orange trees that decorate the “calles” and infuse this charming city with… More →

Table oranges “Naranjas de mesa”

Oranges in Andalucia

One of the first things you may notice when shopping for food in Andalucia is how fresh and affordable the fresh produce is. Oranges are a special treat with fresh crops supplying supermarkets and… More →

The finest and most highly prized marmalade is made from the Seville orange.

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 9

There´s a saying that Sevillanos are so astonished the British actually want to use their bitter oranges to make marmalade, that they reckon the pith is secretly used to make gunpowder.

Fascinating Facts

Sevillanos are very well-known, throughout Spain and the wider world, for their fierce pride in their beautiful city

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 1

Sevillanos are very well-known, throughout Spain and the wider world, for their fierce pride in their city.

Some of the film locations in Seville include the Plaza de España, Casa de Pilatos and the Alcazar

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 2

Sevilla is beloved of movie and TV directors for its range of well-preserved buildings from every era and style, from medieval to regionalist.

The Italic settlement was founded by the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 4

No fewer than three Roman emperors were born just outside Seville. The Romans first arrived in Spain in 206BC, during a war against the Carthaginians, and stayed for 700 years battling the fierce… More →

Tapas these small, tasty dishes, now found all over the world, originated in Sevilla.

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 3

When you visit Seville, you will undoubtedly go out for tapas. These small, tasty dishes, now found all over the world, originated in Sevilla.

The backstory on the logo of Seville

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 6

Visitors to Seville will notice a symbol on many signs around the city, from taxis and buses to sewer covers, consisting of the letters ´NO8DO´. This is the city´s logo, and legend says that it… More →

Callejon de la Inquisition

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 5

This dark period in Catholicism´s history is still endlessly, if morbidly, fascinating, and it is rumoured that a museum on the Spanish church´s merciless 300-year purge of ´heretics´ is being… More →

The remains of Columbus in the cathedral of Seville.

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 7

One of the most controversial of Seville´s many claims is that Cristobal Colón (Christopher Columbus) is buried here, in Sevilla´s mighty Gothic cathedral, variously described as either the third… More →

The Alamillo bridge was designed by world-famous architect Santiago Calatrava, the spectacular 250-metre high Alamillo has a single arm to bear its entire weight.

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 8

The 1992 Expo put Seville on the map. Andalucia had become poor and backward during the Franco era, and an injection of cash for new roads, a high-speed rail (AVE) linking Seville to Madrid and a… More →

The finest and most highly prized marmalade is made from the Seville orange.

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 9

There´s a saying that Sevillanos are so astonished the British actually want to use their bitter oranges to make marmalade, that they reckon the pith is secretly used to make gunpowder.

Semana Santa in Seville - Virgen de la Estrella de Triana.

Seville City - Fascinating Fact 10

Seville is a city of dualities. If you´re a football fan, as many Sevillanos are, you´re either a betico or a sevillista, supporting Real Betis Balompie (green and white strip) or Sevilla Futbol… More →