Walking. Slowly.

Having enjoyed such a great Free City Tour in Madrid, we decided to test our luck with another one in Sevilla. But we quickly second-guessed our decision when we arrived to find literally hundreds of other people waiting.  This seemed extra surprising because the city had seemed almost abandoned the day before when we arrived – where had all these people come from??

Although it took the organizers about 20 minutes to split the masses into completely equal-sized groups, we luckily enjoyed a very entertaining tour guide who did a great job of herding us all around finding all the most shaded spots for us to stand and listen.

Sevilla has had a rich history, having changed ruling hands several times throughout the course of its life.

Though many legends believe that Sevilla was founded by Hercules, historians suggest the city was actually developed by the Romans, who ruled there for 6 centuries.  The Muslim civilization, however, is the one credited with having a greater impact on the city, creating much of today's gorgeous infrastructure and developing a very well-functioning society during its reign from the 700 until the end of the 1400s. 

The Cathedral of Sevilla (which has a formal “real” name but it is a name that no one ever uses!) is just one example of Moorish architecture. The Cathedral was originally built as a mosque and converted to the Cathedral after the Reconquista by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in 1492.

Luckily, some of the mosque still remains. The current bell tower, for example, was once on the mosque’s minaret.  Although the tower is incredibly tall it actually only has 11 steps.  The minaret was designed to accommodate the 5 climbs that the Muezzin would have had to make to call people to prayer each day.  As such, the tower was designed using ramps to allow an animal to carry the Muezzin up to the top. 

The other area that has been preserved is the Moorish entrance court, with it arched entryways and water fountains for washing.  This entranceway stands in stark contrast to the Gothic style of the remainder of the church.

Interestingly, the varying styles can alsobe seen through the Cathedral's different brickwork.  For example, the Christians wanted the church to last for eternity and thus used large stone slabs.  The Muslims, however, believed that the building was mortal and not all-powerful and used smaller “brick blocks” for its creation.  

This eclectic World Heritage is the 3rd largest in Europe, behind St. Paul's and St. Peter's and houses the bones of Christopher Columbus, thus drawing visitors from all over the world.

Although Sevilla claims that both bullfighting and flamenco originated here, we were unable to find confirmation of this in any of our research.  In addition, Sevilla is said to be one of the best places in Spain to watch bullfighting and also enjoy flamenco.  This we were able to confirm!  Even still, we didn’t do either.

The Torre Del Oro was built as a watchtower for the City.  In addition to this Tower of Gold, there is also a Tower of Silver.  And one other tower that has nothing to do with precious metals.  

The Tower was heavily damaged during the Earthquake of Lisbon in 1755 (which incredibly damaged a lot of Sevilla even though so far away!) and has since been rebuilt.  

Notable is that many claim this Tower to be the site of the starting spot of feminism in the region when a beautiful young woman refused the King’s advances and was imprisoned here.  She managed to escape and became a nun but he tracked her down again, determined to get his way.  Refusing to succumb, she went to the convent’s kitchen and poured a boiling pot of hot oil on herself, completing disfiguring her face.  At this point, she was allowed to live her days in peace.  Ever since, she has been a legend in the city.

The Plaza De Espana was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Expo of 1929.  The plaza was designed by Aníbal González and embraces a mix of 1920s Art Deco, with a “mock Mudejar” and Neo-Mudejar style.  The design attempts to showcase Spain’s complex history, with the bridges highlighting the four ancient kingdoms.  The building also showcases each region in the country, offering a large alcove containing a bench and some decorative tiles reflecting the culture of each province of Spain. 

The complex building is a huge half-circle, designed to look like outstretched arms welcoming international visitors and traders to come and visit and do business with Spain.  The complex now houses the city’s town hall and various other government functions. 

Although the city is the 4^th largest in Spain, we were surprised by how quiet it felt.  Besides our bustling tour, the streets both in the Old Town and the surrounding town were very quiet and the restaurants often closed, even in the evenings.  We are still not sure where all the people are – perhaps they just stay inside and try to beat the heat…