In the 10th century, the seat of power in Andalucia for the ruling Ummayad caliphate was Cordoba. From the 11th century the region devolved into taifa states, of which Seville was one, ruled at first by Abderraman III. In 1147 the Almohad dynasty arrived, aiming to return the region to stricter adherence to Islam, and declared Seville as its capital.
You enter the Alcázar though the red Puerta del Leon (Lion’s Gate) situated at the corner of Calle Miguel de Mañara and Calle Santo Tomas. The exit is on Patio de Banderas, which leads back onto Plaza del Triunfo, and also into Barrio Santa Cruz via Calle Juderia.
Day visits
October to March: 9.30am - 6pm
April to September: 9.30am - 8pm
Night visits (see below)
March and October: every half hour from 7.30pm to 9pm
April to September: every half hour from 9pm to 10.30pm
If you follow the street eastwards away from the Setas, passing Plaza Cristo de Burgos, the next area you arrive in is Santa Catalina barrio (neighbourhood).
This barrio (neighbourhood) is next to the main shopping area, and is centred around Metropol Parasol, the vast wooden waffle structure consisting of six giant shades in Plaza Encarnacion.
Alfalfa barrio (neighbourhood) is located between Plaza Encarnación and Plaza Cristo de Burgos to the north, and Santa Cruz. It is an area of narrow streets with small, independent shops and bars, where you’ll find lively tapas places, idiosyncratic late-night joints, and stores selling artisan crafts and unusual jewellery.
One of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Seville, San Luis de los Franceses (known simply as San Luis) is an extravagantly decorated circular church in the Macarena district.
In 1519 Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Seville with a fleet of five naos (carracks or carvel-built wooden sailing ships) to find the Molluca spice islands, in modern-day Indonesia. Three years later, only one of his naos returned, the Nao Victoria, captained by Juan Sebastian Elcano – Magellan had been killed in a conflict in the Philippines.
In the tables below listed at the destinations currently or recently served by direct flights to and from Seville Airport. The first table is destinations in the UK, the second table is destinations in EU, the third table is destinations in Spain and the fourth table is destinations world-wide including Morocco.
The only opera by Ludwig Van Beethoven, this was originally titled Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love. It was premiered at the Theater an der Wien in 1805, and was not well received. The opera was subsequently modified and shortened; the earlier two versions are known as Leonore. The final version was first performed at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna in 1814.
This opera is based on the legend of Don Juan, a fictional libertine and seducer. It was premiered by the Prague Italian Opera at the National Theatre (of Bohemia), now called the Estates Theatre, in 1787. Although sometimes classified as comic, the work blends comedy, melodrama and supernatural elements. It is one of several Mozart operas set in Seville, the others being The Barber of Seville.
Abantal Michelin one-star restaurant is located just outside the historic centre of Seville and offers delightful, innovative gastronomic dishes created by chef Julio Fernández Quintero. The restaurant itself seats 28 diners at a time, but can accomodate up to 55 for group bookings and special events planned in advance.
More than 100 operas are set in Seville, by composers such as Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Beethoven and Bizet. With its beautiful houses and squares, romantic balconies and impressive monuments like the Maestranza bullring and old tobacco factory, it is easy to imagine the equally comic and tragic action of operas taking place around its streets.
Located next to Andalucia's first skyscraper, the 180m-Torre Sevilla (known locally as Torre Pelli), CaixaForum Sevilla covers 8,100m2, consisting of two exhibition halls, an auditorium, two multi-use rooms, a Kids Zone room for children's activities, a shop, and a café-restaurant with outdoor terrace.
This large square is located close to the "Mushrooms", or Metropol Parasol, heading towards Plaza Ponce de Leon. It stretches from Plaza San Pedro and Calle Almirante Apodaca, south to calle Descalzos in the Alfalfa district.
Located in the former US Pavilion from the Expo 29, next to Maria Luisa Park, this cultural foundation offers a wide range of exhibitions, activities and courses, from photographic shows featuring the cream of Andalucian and international talent, to film production courses for children.
