Seville

Seville Sevilla
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: NO8DO (It [Seville] has not abandoned me)
Seville
Coordinates:
Country	Spain
Autonomous Community	Andalusia
Province	Seville
Comarca	Seville
Founded	8th-10th century BC
Government
- Type	Mayor-council
- Body	Ayuntamiento de Sevilla
- Mayor	Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín (PSOE)
Area
- City	140 km2 (54.1 sq mi)
Elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Population (2009)INE
- City	703,206
- Rank	4th
- Density	5,002.93/km2 (12,957.5/sq mi)
- Metro	1,493,416
Demonym	sevillano (m), sevillana (f) hispalense
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	41001-41080
Website	www.sevilla.org

Seville (Spanish: Sevilla [seˈβiʎa]; see also different names) is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos (feminine form: Sevillanas) or Hispalenses. The population of the city of Seville was 703,206 as of 2009 (INE), ranking as the fourth largest city of Spain. The population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,493,416 as of 2009 (INE estimate).

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early periods 1.2 Moorish era 1.3 Post-Reconquista 1.4 Franco 2 Main sights 2.1 Landmarks 2.2 Museums 2.3 Parks and gardens 3 Climate 4 Culture 4.1 Festivals 4.2 Gastronomy 4.3 Flamenco and Sevillanas 4.4 Nightlife 4.5 Motto 4.6 Twin towns — Sister cities 4.7 Partnerships 5 Economy 5.1 Infrastructure 5.2 Characteristics by sector 5.3 Research and development 6 Transportation 7 Education 8 Famous natives 9 Famous residents 10 Sport 11 Fiction 11.1 Literature and television 11.2 In movies 12 See also 13 Gallery 14 References 15 External links

History

Early periods

Seville is more than 2,000 years old. The passage of the various civilizations, instrumental in its growth, has left the city a distinct personality, and a large and well-preserved historical centre. Although it has a strong medieval, renaissance and baroque heritage, the city received heavy influences from Arabic culture.

The city was known from Roman times as Hispalis. The nearby Roman city of Italica, a mainly residential city at the time, is well-preserved and gives an impression of how Hispalis may have looked in the later Roman period, especially when taken in context with the excavation evidence from the nearby city of Carmona. Existing Roman features in Seville include the remnants of an aqueduct. Following were successive conquests of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica by the Vandals and the Visigoths during the 5th and 6th centuries.

Moorish era

After the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Islamic Moors, Seville was an important center in Al-Andalus, or Moorish Spain. The city was taken by the Muslims in 712 and renamed Išbīliya (إشبيلية), derived from Hispalis, from which the present name "Sevilla" is derived. It was capitol for the Kings of the Umayyad Caliphate, the Almoravid dynasty, and the Almohad dynasty (from Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i.e., "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians"), from the 8th to 13th centuries. In 1248 forces of King Fernando III of Castile won victory in Seville's chapter of the peninsula's Catholic Reconquista (reconquest). Many original Moorish elements remain, including public structures, the urban fabric in the historic district, and large sections of the fortified city wall. The Moorish aesthetic and urban influences continued and are very present in contemporary Seville, a legacy appreciated by scholars and travelers; and a prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Post-Reconquista

Following the 1492 Christopher Columbus expedition to the New World (from Seville's port), the results from his claiming territory and trade for the Crown of Castile (Spain) in the West Indies began to profit the city, as all goods imported from the New World had to pass through the Casa de Contratacion before being distributed throughout the rest of Spain. A 'golden age of development' commenced, due to being the only port awarded the royal monopoly for trade with and riches from the growing Spanish colonies in the Americas. Since only sailing ships leaving from and returning to Seville could engage in trade with the Spanish Americas, merchants from Europe and other trade centers needed to go to Seville to acquire New World trade goods. The city's population grew to nearly a million people in the first hundred years after Columbus. The city's development continued, mainly due to its economical position in the Kingdom of Castile , with the construction of public buildings including churches, many of which are in Mudéjar style. The Moors' Palace became the Castilian royal residence, the Alcázar of Seville, with the monarchs only adding on for their own needs. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. The Gothic architecture of the Seville Cathedral was built during the 15th century. Its Bell tower, the Giralda, was built up from the Minaret of the original grand mosque.^[1].

In the late 16th century the monopoly was broken, with the port of Cádiz also authorized as a port of trade. The Great Plague of Seville in 1649 reduced the population by almost half, and it would not recover until the early 1800s.^[2] As the Spanish Empire became unified and ruled by monarchs from European dynasties the Kingdom of Castile lost influence. By the 18th century international importance was in decline. After the silting up of the harbor by the Guadalquivir (river) upriver shipping ceased and the city went into relative economic decline. Seville's development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was characterised by population growth and increasing industrialisation, unlike the rest of Andalusia.

Franco

Seville fell very quickly at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. General Queipo de Llano carried out a coup within the city, quickly capturing the city centre.^[3] Radio Seville opposed the rising and called for the peasants to come to the city for arms, while worker's groups established barricades.^[3] De Llano then moved to capture Radio Seville, which he used to broadcast propaganda on behalf of the Francoist forces.^[3] After the initial takeover of the city, resistance continued amongst the working-class areas for some time, until a series of fierce reprisals took place.^[4]

Main sights

The principal Moorish and Gothic buildings in the old quarter of Seville are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Landmarks

• The Cathedral of Seville was built from 1401–1519 after the Reconquista on the former site of the city's mosque. It is amongst the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals, in terms of both area and volume. The interior is the longest nave in Spain, and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. It is topped with a statue, known locally as El Giraldillo, representing Faith. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the Muezzin and others to ride on horseback to the top.
• The Alcázar facing the cathedral has developed from the city's old Moorish Palace; construction was begun in 1181 and continued for over 500 years, mainly in Mudéjar style, but also in Renaissance. Its gardens are a blend of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions.
• The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty as watchtower and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port.
• The Town Hall, built in the 16th century in high Plateresque style by master architect Diego de Riaño. The Facade to Plaza Nueva was built in the 19th century in Neoclassical style.
• The University of Seville is housed in the original site of the first tobacco factory in Europe, La Antigua Fábrica de Tobaccos, a vast 18th century building in Baroque style and the purported inspiration for the opera Carmen.
• The Plaza de España, in Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa), was built by the architect Aníbal González for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana. It is an outstanding example of Regionalist Revival Architecture, a bizarre and lofty mixture of diverse historic styles, such as Art Deco and Neo-Mudéjar and lavishly ornamented with typical glazed tiles.^[5][6]

In 1929 Seville hosted the Spanish-American Exhibition and numerous buildings were constructed for the exhibition in the celebrated Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa) design by Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier.^[7] The Plaza de España is an example of moorish styles, which helped create the U.S. Moorish Revival style era, was designed by Aníbal González.^[8] It was built on the Park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits.

Museums

The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville was established in 1835 in the former Convent of la Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo, Pacheco, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Sevillian School, containing also Flemish paintings of the XV and XVI centuries.

Other museums in Seville are:

• The María Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa) contains two museums: the Archaeological Museum, which contains collections from the Tartessian and Roman periods, and the Museum of Traditional Arts and Customs.
• The Andalusian Contemporary Art Center
• The Army Museum
• The Maritime Museum
• The Carriages Museum
• The Flamenco Art Museum
• The Bullfight Museum.
• The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija contains many of the mosaic floors discovered in the nearby Roman town of Italica.
• Other structures that are now museums are the Casa de Pilatos and the "Centro Velázquez" located at the Old Priests Hospital.

Parks and gardens

• Parque de María Luisa was built for the 1929 World's Fair held in Seville, the Exposición Ibero-Americana, and remains landscaped with attractive monuments and museums.
• The Alcázar Gardens, arranged to the back of the palace. They were planted and developed alongside the Alcázar throughout the centuries. Sheltered within the walls of the palace, they are laid out in terraces, and present variations of influences, styles and plants in each sector.
• The Gardens of Murillo and the Gardens of Catalina de Ribera: alongside the wall of the Alcázar and next to the district of Santa Cruz.
• La Isla Mágica, Cartuja Island, a theme park built on the site of the 1992 Universal Exposition of Seville

Other prominent parks and gardens include:

• Parque de los Príncipes
• Parque del Alamillo
• Parque Amate
• Parque Metropolitano de la Cartuja
• Jardines de las Delicias
• Jardín Americano
• Jardín Este
• Jardines de Cristina
• Jardines Chapina
• Jardines de la Buhaira
• Jardines de San Telmo
• Jardines del Guadalquivir
• Jardines del Valle

Climate

Seville has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Koppen climate classification Csa),^[9] with Semi-arid climate (BSh) influences. The annual average temperature is 18.6 °C (65 °F), which makes this city one of the warmest in Europe.

• Winters are mild: January is the coolest month, with average maximum temperatures of 15.9 °C (61 °F) and minimum of 5.2 °C (41 °F).
• Summers are blazing hot: July is the warmest month, with average maximum temperatures of 35.3 °C (96 °F) and minimum temperatures of 19.4 °C (67 °F) and every year the temperature exceeds 40 °C (104 °F) on several occasions. The extremes of temperature registered by the weather station at Seville Airport are −5.5 °C (22 °F) on 12 February 1956, and 46.6 °C (116 °F) on 23 July 1995. There is a non-accredited record by the National Institute of Meteorology which is 47.2 °C (117 °F) on 1 August during the 2003 heat wave, according to a weather station (83910 LEZL) located in the southern part of Seville Airport, near the abandoned military zone. This temperature would be one of the highest ever recorded in Spain and Europe after the 48.5°C recorded at Catenanuova, Italy on 10/08/1999. ^[10]
• Precipitation varies from 600 to 800 mm (23.5–31.5 in) per year, concentrated in the period October to April. December is the wettest month, with an average rainfall of 95 millimetres (4 in). On average there are 52 days of rain, 120.75 days of sun and four days of frost per year.
• Average number of days above 32°C (90°F) is 88, average number of days below 0°C (32°F) is 6. Average morning relative humidity: 84%, average evening relative humidity: 46%.

Climate data for Seville
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN)[11]

Culture

Festivals

Semana Santa and the Seville Fair, La Feria de Sevilla (also Feria de Abril, "April Fair") are the two most well-known of Seville's festivals. Seville is internationally renowned for the solemn but beautiful processions during Holy Week and the colourful and lively fair held two weeks after. During Feria, families, businesses and organizations set up casetas, marquees, in which they spend the week dancing, drinking, and socializing. Traditionally, women wear elaborate flamenco dresses and men dress in their best suits. The marquees are set up on a permanent fairground in which each street is named after a famous bullfighter.

Gastronomy

Seville is a gastronomic centre, with a cuisine based on the products of the surrounding provinces, including seafood from Cádiz, olive oil from Jaén, and sherry from Jerez de la Frontera.

The tapas scene is one of the main cultural attractions of the city: people go from one bar to another, enjoying small dishes called tapas (literally "lids" or "covers" in Spanish, referring to their probable origin as snacks served in small plates used to cover drinks.)

Local specialities include fried and grilled seafood (including squid, cuttlefish, swordfish and dogfish), grilled meats in sauces, spinach and chickpeas, Andalusian ham (Jamón ibérico), lamb's kidneys in a sherry sauce, snails, and gazpacho.

Typical sweet cakes of this province are polvorones and mantecados from the town of Estepa, a kind of shortcake made with almonds, sugar and lard; Pestiños, a honey-coated sweet fritter; Torrijas, fried slices of bread with honey; Roscos fritos, deep-fried sugar-coated ring doughnuts; magdalenas or fairy cakes; yemas de San Leandro, which provide the city's convents with a source of revenue, and Tortas de aceite, a thin sugar-coated cake made with olive oil.

Except for polvorones and mantecados, which are traditional Christmas products, all of these are consumed throughout the year.

The Seville oranges that dot the city landscape, too bitter for modern tastes, are commonly used to make marmalade and lotions; according to legend, the trees were imported when the mosque was constructed in order to provide shade and mask the scent of the medieval city. However, many tourists insist on trying the oranges which taste like sour lemons.

Flamenco and Sevillanas

The Sevillanas dance, commonly presented as flamenco, is not thought to be of Sevillan origin. But the folksongs called Sevillanas are authentically Sevillan, as is the four-part dance that goes with them.

Seville, and most significantly the traditionally gypsy barrio, Triana, was a major centre in the development of flamenco.

Nightlife

Nightlife in Sevilla, like in all other parts of Spain, is very intense. The Sevillianos enjoy a variety of nightlife activities, including botelloning, drinking and gathering outside at a specific meeting point. Good places to botellon are the River Guadalquivir, and the Plaza San Salvador. From San Salvador, many go on to a street of bars located in Plaza Alfalfa, right next to Plaza San Salvador. Calle Betis, on the other side of the River Guadalquivir, holds a variety of bars and a discotheque.

Normally, Sevillanos do not go out until about 11:30 pm (23:30) or midnight (0:00). At this time, they go to a bar and start the night with a shot, beer, or tinto de verano (red wine and orange or lemon soda). Another popular drink in Seville is the Agua de Sevilla, "a mild and tasty drink"^[12]. They then proceed to a discotheque, where they will stay until early in the morning. Some discothèques are open until 10 am.

Motto

NO8DO is the official motto and one of the many legends of Seville. The legend has left its very tangible mark throughout the city as NO8DO can be seen on landmarks ranging from the common bike rack, the caps of the municipal sewer and water system, ordinary sidewalks, buses, taxis, monuments, even Christopher Columbus’s tomb. The motto of Seville is a visible presence of which any visitor is sure to take note.

The motto is a rebus, combining the Spanish syllables (NO and DO) and a drawing in between–the figure “8.” The figure represents a skein of yarn, or in Spanish, a “madeja.” When read aloud, “No madeja do” sounds like “No me ha dejado,” which means “It [Seville] has not abandoned me.”

The story as to how NO8DO arrived at being the motto of the city has undoubtedly been embroidered throughout the centuries, but legend has it that after the “Reconquest” of Seville from the Muslims in 1248, King Fernando III, El Santo, King of Castilla and León moved his court to the former Muslim palace, the Alcázar of Seville.

After San Fernando’s death in the Real Alcázar, his son, Alfonso X, “The Wise,” assumed the throne. Alfonso X was a scholar king, hence his title. He was a poet, astronomer, astrologer, musician and linguist. Alfonso’s son, Sancho IV of Castile, tried to usurp the throne from his father, but the people of Seville remained loyal to their scholar king and this is where NO8DO was believed to have originated when, according to legend, Alfonso X rewarded the fidelity of the “Sevillanos” with the words that now appear on the official emblem of the city of Seville.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Seville has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• Kansas City, Missouri, USA
• Columbus, Ohio, USA
• Angers, France, since 2002

Partnerships

• Kraków, Poland, since 2002^[13]

Economy

The economic activity of Seville cannot be detached from the geographical and urban context of the city; the capital of Andalusia is the centre of a growing metropolitan area. Aside from traditional neighborhoods such as Santa Cruz, Triana and La Macarena, those further away from the centre, such as Nervión, Sevilla Este, and El Porvenir have seen recent economic growth. Over the past twenty years, this urban area has seen significant population growth and the development of new industrial and commercial parks.

Due to its size and location, Seville is economically the strongest of the Andalusian cities. The infrastructure available in the city contributes to the growth of an economy dominated by the service sector, but in which industry still holds a considerable place.

Infrastructure

The 1990s saw massive growth in investment in infrastructure in Seville, largely due to the hosting of the Universal Exposition of Seville in 1992, which saw the economic development of the city and its urban area is supported by good transport links to other Spanish cities, including a high-speed AVE railway link to Madrid, and a new international airport.

In addition:

• Seville has the only river port of the Iberian peninsula, located 80 km (50 mi) from the mouth of the River Guadalquivir. This harbor complex offers access to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and allows trade in goods between the south of Spain (Andalusia, Extremadura) and Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The port has undergone reorganisation. Annual tonnage rose to 5.3 million tonnes of goods in 2006.
• Seville has conference facilities, including the Congress Palace.
• The city and its surrounding province have a number of large industrial parks and technology centres: Dos Hermanas accommodates the largest Andalusian industrial park, while Alcalá de Guadaíra has the largest industrial complex by surface area in Andalusia; the Parque Científico Tecnológico Sevilla Tecnopolis, gathers companies, research centres and university departments directed towards the development of new technologies; the Parque Tecnológico y Aeronáutico Aerópolis is focused on the aircraft industry.
• Outside of Seville are 9 PS20 solar power towers providing most of the city of Seville with clean and renewable energy. These towers use mirrors to focus sunlight on the tower, heating it and creating superheated steam. This steam drives turbines that in turn create electric power and provide electricity during day and night.

Characteristics by sector

The town of Seville and its agglomeration have, by their situation by the river Guadalquivir, maintained dynamic agricultural activity. Agroalimentary industry may be productive. Nevertheless, for a long time the area has been looking to the future, while investing massively in industrial activities, supported by the existing infrastructures. The service sector and new technologies are increasingly important. Seville concentrated, in 2004, 31% of large Andalusian companies and 128 of the 6,000 largest national companies. In 2005, the metropolitan area counted a working population of 471,947 people, of which 329,471 (69.81%) worked within the city centre.

• Agriculture represents less than 1.3% of the workers of the city. Cereal, fruit and olive-growing constitute the principal agricultural activities in this area of Andalusia.
• Industry contributes up to 28% of the economic output of Seville. It employed in 2005 15.2% of workers in the city. It is well established in the metropolitan area, stimulated by the various industrial parks, the presence of good infrastructure and the proximity of the complexes of the Bays of Cádiz, Algeciras, and Huelva.

• The service sector employs 83.5% of the working population of Seville. It represents a significant share of the local economy and is centred on tourism, trade and financial services.

Research and development

The city of Seville makes a significant contribution to scientific research, as it houses the first and largest DNA bank in Spain, through the local company Neocodex. Neocodex stores 20,000 DNA samples and is recognised internationally. In addition, Seville is also considered an important technological and research centre for renewable energies and the aeronautics industry.

Through its high-tech centres and its fabric of innovating companies, the Andalusian capital has risen to among the most important Spanish cities in term of development and research. Moreover, the scientific and technological activity of the three Seville universities has to be added, whose certain laboratories and research centres work in close connection with the local socio-economic power. Thus, the Parque Científico Tecnológico Cartuja 93 gathers private and public actors in various fields of research.

The principal innovation and research orientations are telecommunications, new technologies, biotechnologies (in relation to local agricultural specificities), environment and renewable energy.

Transportation

Seville is served by the TUSSAM (Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla) bus network which runs buses throughout the city as well as outlying areas surrounding Seville. El Metrocentro Tranvia is a tram line consisting of four stops, running from el Prado bus station, past the University and the Cathedral, and stopping at Plaza Nueva where the direction of service reverses.

On April 2, 2009, the city opened its first metro line,^[14] almost 28 months later than originally planned. The project experienced several delays caused by various reasons, including the relocation of archaeological findings and the need for a deeper tunnel under the Guadalquivir River, to avoid possible water leakages.

The Santa Justa train station is served by the AVE high-speed rail system, and is operated by the Spanish formerly state-owned rail company Renfe.

The Sevici community bicycle program has integrated bicycles into the public transport network. Across the city, bicycles are available for hire at low cost and green bicycle lanes can be seen on most major streets. This network of lanes (carriles) is also currently being expanded.

Seville Airport is a medium sized airport that serves the city and surrounding region.

Education

• University of Seville
• Universidad Pablo de Olavide
• Universidad Internacional de Andalucía^[15]
• Fernando III-CEU University, the first private university in Andalusia, situated in the suburb of Aljarafe.
• SAI High for International Education
• Texas Tech University Seville Campus Texas Tech University Center in Seville

Famous natives

• Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian were born in Italica
• Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik Ibn Zuhr (known in the West as Avenzoar) - 1091-1161 C.E - "Master Physician"
• The family of the Arabic historian and sociologist ibn Khaldun
• Renaissance composer Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero
• 16th century novelist Mateo Alemán
• Playwrights Lope de Rueda, Hermanos Alvarez Quintero
• Historian of New Spain Bartolomé de Las Casas
• Explorer Juan Díaz de Solís, born in Lebrija
• Spanish Linguist and Grammarian Antonio de Nebrija, born in Lebrija
• Baroque painters Diego Velázquez, Valdés Leal and Murillo
• Explorer and astronomer Antonio de Ulloa
• Renaissance poet Gutierre de Cetina
• Romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
• Bullfighters Juan Belmonte, Curro Romero, Ignacio Sánchez Mejías and Joselito el Gallo
• 20th century poets:
  • Vicente Aleixandre (Nobel Laureate)
  • Antonio Machado
  • Manuel Machado, his brother
  • Luis Cernuda
• Composer Joaquín Turina
• Actors Juan Diego, Paco León
• Actresses Soledad Miranda, Verónica Sánchez, Carmen Sevilla, Paz Vega
• Miss España 2003 (representing Andalusia), beauty queen and model Eva Maria González
• Singers Isabel Pantoja, Juanita Reina, Lole y Manuel, Paquita Rico, El Caracol
• Francisco Javier Álvarez Colinet, know as Javi, member of the Spanish band D'NASH
• Comedian Manuel Summers
• Football (soccer) players José Antonio Reyes, Fernando "Nando" Muñoz, Ricardo Serna, Sergio Ramos, Jesús Navas, Antonio Puerta, Carlos Marchena.
• Olympic swimmer Fátima Madrid
• Politicians Felipe González, President of the Government of Spain from 1982 to 1996, and Alfonso Guerra, vice president from 1982 to 1991

Famous residents

• Ibn Arabi (known in the West as Doctor Maximus), 1165-1240 C.E - Muslim mystic known as "The Greatest Master" - his family moved to Seville from Murcia when he was 8.

Sport

History of al-Andalus 711–1492
711–732 Invasions
Omayyad conquest Battles : Battle of Guadalete Battle of Toulouse | Battle of Tours
756–1039 Omayyads of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir
1039–1085 Taifas
1085–1145 Almoravids
Almoravid conquest Battle of Sagrajas
1147–1238 Almohads
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
1238–1492 Emirate of Granada
Nasrid dynasty Battle of Granada
connected articles
Map of Al-Andalus Reconquista

History of Spain
This article is part of a series
Early History
Prehistoric Iberia
Roman Hispania
Medieval Spain
Visigothic Kingdom
Kingdom of Asturias
Suebic Kingdom
Byzantine Spania
al-Andalus
Reconquista
Kingdom of Spain
Age of Expansion
Age of Enlightenment
Republic
Reaction and Revolution
First Spanish Republic
The Restoration
Second Spanish Republic
Under Franco
Spanish Civil War
Spanish State
Modern Spain
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• Seville is the hometown of two rival football (soccer) teams: Sevilla Fútbol Club and Real Betis Balompié. However, while Sevilla FC resides in first division, Real Betis resides in second division.
• Seville also unsuccessfully bid for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, which it lost to Athens and Beijing, respectively. For political reasons, it was unable to bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics as Madrid was also interested in submitting its own bid. Seville had already shown its ability to cope with other international sport events such as the Tennis Davis Cup in 2004 and the 7th Athletics World Championships in 1999. If Madrid's 2016 Olympic bid proves unsuccessful, Seville will submit a new one again in 2020.
• Sevilla FC stadium Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán hosted the 1982 World Cup Semi-Finals in which Germany beat France in the penalty shoot-outs after a 3-3 tie.
• Seville FC stadium Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán hosted the 1986 European Cup Final, in which Steaua Bucharest (Romania) unexpectedly defeated FC Barcelona (Spain).
• Seville also hosted in 2003 the UEFA Cup Final in the new Olympic stadium. The final was between Celtic F.C. (Scotland) and Futebol Clube do Porto (Portugal). The match finished in extra time 3–2 to Porto after a 2-2 draw at 90 minutes. Around 80,000 Celtic fans travelled to Seville to watch the match.
• Sevilla FC won the 2006 UEFA Cup, their first European trophy, with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Middlesbrough FC of England in the final, played at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven on May 10, 2006. Sevilla retained the UEFA Cup in 2007 against fellow Spaniards Espanyol in 3-1 on penalties, after a 2-2 draw at Hampden Park, Glasgow. They are also won the European Supercup with a 0-3 defeat of F.C. Barcelona (Spain) in Stade Louis II in Monaco on August 26, 2006. On June 23, 2007 Sevilla FC won the King's Cup (Copa del Rey) beating Getafe 1-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Although Real Betis was the first team from Andalusia to compete in the UEFA Champion's League competition in 2005-2006, Sevilla FC was the first team from Andalusia to advance out of the group stages in the UEFA Champion's League competition.

Fiction

Literature and television

• The picaresque novel Rinconete y Cortadillo by Miguel de Cervantes takes place in the city of Seville.
• The novel La femme et le pantin, ("Woman and puppet") (1898) by Pierre Louÿs, adapted for film several times, is set mainly in Seville.
• Seville is the setting for the legend of Don Juan (inspired by the real aristocrat Don Miguel de Mañara) on the Paseo Alcalde Marqués de Contadero
• Seville is the primary setting of many operas, the best known of which are Bizet's Carmen (based on Mérimée's novella), Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Verdi's La Forza del Destino, Beethoven's Fidelio, Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro, and Prokofiev's Betrothal in a Monastery.
• The episode "The Grand Inquisitor" in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov is set with Christ's return to Seville.
• Seville is the last city the narrator and Simone visit in Georges Bataille's Story of the Eye (1928).
• Seville is the setting of the novel "The Seville Communion" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
• Seville appears in the first chapter of science fiction novel Ringworld by Larry Niven.
• Seville is both the location and setting for much of the 1985 Doctor Who television serial The Two Doctors.
• Seville is also used as one of the locations in Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress". According to the author he started to think about writing his The Da Vinci Code when he was doing a course on Art History at the University of Seville. The description of Seville in the book is in question and according to an article by Alvaro Sanchez Leon in the January/February 2006 issue of the Spanish-language magazine Epoca, "Ese señor nunca ha estado matriculado en esta universidad, a no ser que se apuntara a un curso de otoño de los que se dan en la "Facultad de Geografía e Historia" para alumnos extranjeros." (trans: That gentleman has never enrolled in this university, unless he attended one of the short Autumn courses for foreign students at the Faculty of Geography and History.")
• Arthur Koestler's book Spanish Testament is based on the writer's experiences while held in the Seville prison, under a sentence of death, during the Spanish Civil War.
• Robert Wilson's police novel The Hidden Assassins (2006) concerns a terrorist incident in Seville and the political context thereof, with much local color. Note also his title The Blind Man of Seville (2004).
• The setting of the book "the Lost Diary of Don Juan" by Douglas Carlton Abrams

In movies

• The Plaza de España in the Parque de María Luisa appears in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as well as in Lawrence of Arabia as the British Army HQ in Cairo, while the courtyard was the King Alfonso XIII Hotel.
• The Plaza of the Americas also appeared in Lawrence, substituting for Jerusalem, and in Anthony Mann's El Cid. It would also serve as the Palace of Vladek Sheybal's Bashaw in The Wind and the Lion (1975) (including the memorable attack scene by the US Marines.)
• Seville is given as the setting of part of the action on Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible II, but wasn't shot there. The portrayal of the Holy Week in the film holds no link to reality.
• The Patio de los Naranjos in the Catedral appears in Kingdom of Heaven.
• The Spanish translation of My Fair Lady's phonetic exercise "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" is "La lluvia en Sevilla es una pura maravilla", "The rain in Seville is a pure marvel".
• The surrealist film That Obscure Object of Desire, by director Luis Buñuel, features many scenes shot in Seville.
• The action comedy Knight and Day featuring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz also filmed several action sequences in Seville.

See also

• Isla Magica, a theme park just to the west of Seville.
• Seville Expo '92
• Seville metro
• Seville Statement on Violence
• Wikimedia Commons: Image gallery of Seville

Gallery

View of the Archivo de Indias	Interior of the Alcázar of Seville	Del Carmen Church.	Ayuntamiento of Seville.
Arch and Basilica of La Macarena.	Palacio Arzobispal de Sevilla.	Plaza de España.	Guadalquivir river over the city of Seville
The courtyard of the cathedral, as seen from the Giralda.	The roof of the cathedral and some of the city, as seen from the Giralda.	The tomb of Christopher Columbus, inside the Cathedral of Seville.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography by William Smith (1856).

External links

• (Spanish) Official website of the city council.
• Seville in 360º
• Seville photos
• Seville travel guide from Wikitravel
• Islamic Seville by Paul Lunde

World Heritage Sites in Spain For official site names, see each article or the List of World Heritage Sites in Spain. North West Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain1 · Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias · Roman Walls of Lugo · Route of Santiago de Compostela1 · Santiago de Compostela · Tower of Hercules North East Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain1 · Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon · Pyrénées - Mont Perdu2 · Rock-Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula1 · Route of Santiago de Compostela1 · San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries · Vizcaya Bridge Community of Madrid Aranjuez Cultural Landscape · El Escorial · University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares Centre Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida · Archaeological Site of Atapuerca · Ávila with its Extra-mural Churches · Burgos Cathedral · Cáceres · Cuenca · Las Médulas · Rock-Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula1 · Route of Santiago de Compostela1 · Salamanca · Santa María de Guadalupe · Segovia and its Aqueduct · Toledo East Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco (Tarragona) · Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí · Ibiza (Biodiversity and Culture) · Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona · Palmeral of Elche · Poblet Monastery · Rock-Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula1 · Silk Exchange in Valencia · Works of Antoni Gaudí South Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín · Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias, Seville · Córdoba · Doñana · Renaissance Monuments of Úbeda and Baeza · Rock-Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula1 Canary Islands Garajonay · San Cristóbal de La Laguna · Teide National Park 1 Shared with other region/s · 2 Shared with France

Neighborhoods of Seville Macarena · Triana · Nervión · Santa Cruz · Centro · Los Remedios · La Cartuja · Sevilla Este · Pino Montano · El Porvenir · Polígono Norte · Polígono San Pablo · La Palmera · Torreblanca · Bellavista · Tres Mil Viviendas · Valdezorras · El Vacie · Encarnación - La Campana · La Alameda · El Arenal ·