Goldens on the Road: Seville, Spain

Seville, Spain

Next we headed to Seville where our tour included visits to the beautiful Plaza de España located in the Maria Luisa Park. You can walk through the Barrio Santa Cruz to shop, have lunch, and just enjoy the narrow winding streets. Of course you can’t miss a visit to the Cathedral of Seville … awesome!

So, here we go: According to our Guide and Wikipedia, here is some history behind The Plaza de España and Maria Luisa Park:

The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Maria Luisa Park, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival styles of Spanish architecture.

It was designed and built as a principal building on the Maria Luisa Park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits. The Plaza de España complex is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous bridges representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain. In the center is the Vicente Traver fountain – which was not on during our visit. By the walls of the Plaza are many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain. Each alcove is flanked by a pair of covered bookshelves, said to be used by visitors in the manner of "Little Free Library". Each bookshelf often contains information about their province, yet you can often find regular books as well, for some people have taken to donating their favorite book to these shelves.

For the Exposition of 1929 the entire southern end of the city was redeveloped into an expanse of gardens and grand boulevards. The center of it is Maria Luisa Park, a half mile of tiled fountains, pavilions, walls, ponds, benches, and lush plantings of palms, orange trees, Mediterranean pines, and stylized flower beds. Numerous buildings were constructed for the exhibition. Since this trip was an ”Off Season” trip we were there before all the gardens where in bloom so we didn’t get to see very many of what probably is a very beautiful sight!

The Barrio Santa Cruz used to be the Jewish quarter. The streets are narrow and form a labyrinth in which it is easy to get lost in, but sooner than later you come across something you recognize. There are a few photos of the original ancient wall that protected the barrio long ago, many small stores, artisan shops, great little restaurants and cafes as well as good art galleries.

The Cathedral of Seville, also known as The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Seat, is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alcazar Palace complex located opposite of the Cathedral and built for the Christian King Peter of Castile, as well as the General Archives of the Indies. It is the fourth largest church in the world, although its size remains a matter of debate, as well as the largest Gothic church. The total area occupied by the building is 124,000 sq. ft. The Gothic section alone has a length of 413 ft., a width of 249 ft., and its maximum height in the center of the transept is 138 ft. The total height of the Giralda Bell Tower from the ground to the weather vane is 342 ft. 10 inches. The point is, this church is HUGE!!

Seville Cathedral was the site of the baptism of Infant Juan of Aragon in 1478, the only son of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Its royal chapel holds the remains of the city's conqueror Ferdinand III of Castile, his son and heir Alfonso the Wise and their descendant King Peter the Just. The funerary monuments for cardinals Juan de Cervantes and Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza are located among its chapels. Christopher Columbus and his son Diego are also buried in the cathedral. The Archbishop's Palace is located on the northeastern side of the cathedral. Well, that’s enough history! Lets take a look at some photos … enjoy!

El Patio Sevillano is a popular restaurant in Seville where you are entertained by Flamenco Dancers. We enjoyed the food, sangria and the dancers.