SpanishPassion. Walking around the heart of the city

Walking around the heart of the city

At the end of the working day, or at any time of the day, you can stroll through Seville, a city that offers the visitor many gardens to rest in and many monuments to admire.

First of all you can go to El Prado, a big garden near the antique Fábrica de Tabacos (Tobacco Factory), the largest building in Spain after the Escorial from the 17th Century. Another factory was built, and the original one was ceded to house some Faculties of the University of Seville, which is what it is now.

Walking around the heart of the city At the end of the working day, or at any time of the day, you can stroll through Seville, a city that offers the visitor many gardens to rest in and many monuments to admire. First of all you can go to El Prado, a big garden near the antique Fábrica de Tabacos (Tobacco Factory), the largest building in Spain after the Escorial from the 17th Century. Another factory was built, and the original one was ceded to house some Faculties of the University of Seville, which is what it is now.	"Spring collaborates with the city, and the orange tree is her accomplice" (Eugenio Noel)
Crossing San Fernando Street you will find Jardines de Murillo (Murillo’s Gardens), a garden placed beside the remaining wall of the Alcázar. If you walk around that wall you will reach the Callejón del Agua (Water Alley), the shadowy street that runs along the other side of the wall. The Callejón del Agua leads you to Santa Cruz Quarter, with typical narrow streets, houses never more than two-storied and with flower-filled patios and balconies. In the midst of this maze of streets you will find unexpected beautiful corners such as the Plaza de Santa Cruz, the square which gave its name to the district. In the centre of this square is a wrought iron cross known as La Cerrajería. Nearby is the Casa de Murillo (Murillo’s House), decorated in the 17th Century style. Murillo was one of the Seville’s most famous artists; he painted religious pictures, some of them are shown in the Museo de Bellas Artes (Sevillian Fine Arts Museum). Very close from here, into Santa Cruz Quarter, is the Hospital de Venerables Sacerdotes (Venerable Priests Hospital), founded in 1675 as a hospital and asylum for old priests. This building is now home of the foundation FOCUS dedicated to fine arts. The church into the building was dedicated in 1698 to San Fernando, king of Castilla and León, who was canonised by the Catholic Church before conquering Seville to the Moslems. You can’t go out of Santa Cruz Quarter without visiting some of the traditional articles shops: in the Plaza de Doña Elvira (Doña Elvira Square) you can find shops selling ceramics, fans, etc. Don´t miss these streets: Vida and Judería, which will lead you into the Patio de las Banderas, by the walls of the Alcázar, and into Plaza del Triunfo. The Cathedral and the Archivo de Indias (The Indies’ Archive) surround this square. The Archivo de Indias conserves all the documents relating to the Indias from 1785. This building is one of the most representative examples of Mannerist architecture in Seville and shows a marked Herrerian influence.	"What can I tell you about the Alcázar? A garden that looks like a Persian wonder". (André Gide)
The Cathedral is a colossal temple that was added on to the Giralda (minaret of the antique Arabian mosque) and embraces a variety of styles and periods with unity and conformity. The Cathedral has been described as the greatest example of Spanish Gothic architecture. In the centre of the wide staircase, leading to the Altar of the Royal Chapel and below the figure of the Virgen de los Reyes, is the huge silver tomb, which holds the remains of the Conqueror of Seville, King Fernando III. His incorrupt albeit deteriorated body, is visible through glass and is dressed in royal robes. The Giralda, Seville’s most representative monument, is made up of two parts belonging to two different periods. The tower takes its name of the upper section of the building, a four metre long weather vane called El Giraldillo. Beside the Giralda is the Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop’s Palace) a late Baroque building, residence of Seville’s prelate, a late Baroque building. Close by, you will find Avenida de la Constitución (Constitution Avenue), that leads you to Plaza Nueva, where the Ayuntamiento is (Town Hall). Balbino Marrón the architect designed the façade of this building that looks onto Plaza Nueva in the 19th Century with a neo-classical design. The opposite façade looks onto the Plaza de San Francisco and is one of the most representative examples of the Plateresque styles to be found in Spain. Here you can finish this walk through the centre of Seville and have some "tapas" at any bar or buy some souvenirs and presents in streets like Sierpes or Tetuan.	"Giralda is the pure prism of Seville, flat with plumb and star, mould in blue setting, tower without harm, architectural palm with not seed". (Gerardo Diego)