The Alameda de Hércules , or simply La Alameda, is a square in Seville, southern Spain. It was in origin a promenaded public garden built in 1574, named after the eight rows of white poplars trees (álamos in Spanish) that fill its central part. Located in the north half of the city's historic center, between the river Guadalquivir and the Macarena neighborhood, it was the oldest public garden in Spain and Europe.[1]
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Before its urban transformation, the Alameda square was a fragment of the easternmost branch of the Guadalquivir river. It crossed the city center via Alameda towards Plaza Nueva, eventually ending through El Arenal neighbourhood. After it was cut off by a damn in 1383, the river basin turned into a swampy pond fed by the aquifer and frequent rises of the river.[2]
In 1574, the Count of Barajas further drained the water, building irrigation channels and fountains, and planting lines of river trees (white poplars). Four columns were placed to mark off a promenade through the trees. In the beginning, it was planned to take four collumns from the remains of the Roman temple of Mármoles street, believed to be dedicated to Hercules. However, when moving the third collumn it broke up, leading to left the project unfinished. As a result, the two collumns at the southern head of the square are original Roman from the temple, whereas contemporary reproductions were placed on the northern collumns. As culmination of this project, two sculptures crowned the top of the two southern columns: Hercules (mytological founder of Seville) and Julius Caesar (referred to as the restorer of the city during Roman rule). In the second half of the eighteenth century, two additional statues of lions with shields, representing Seville and Spain, were placed on the northern columns.
In the late 19th century, the Alameda become a meeting point for upper-class people. It had many theaters and kiosks. However, after the Civil War,[3] Alameda started a progressive degradation, and became one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Seville, troubled by prostitution and drugs. According to data from 1989, the area housed up to 35 brothels.[4]
After a shy recovering during early 21st century, public inversions by the city council totally renewed La Alameda at 2006-2008. Road traffic was limited, and a number of kiosks, benches and fountains installed. The promenade was also recovered with the plantation of many white poplars and European hackberry trees.[5] La Alameda is nowadays one of the main nightlife centers of Seville.
Despite draining infrastructures built when the early transformation of the square, La Alameda remained as one of the most floodable areas of the city until the second half of the 20th century. In this way, during 1649 Great Plague it was reported that the Alameda was so flooded that people crossed the square on boats.[6] Nowadays, changes in the river-channel system of the Guadalquivir river, as well as the installation of a huge underground cystern to retain stormwater, contributed to avoid new flooding events in this area.
Apart from the Roman collumns that head the promenade, some other interesting features are placed in La Alameda.
At its western side it is found the Casa de las Sirenas (literally mermaid's house) a 19th-century French-inspiration palace that is used today as a civic center hosting expositions, workshops, classes, and cultural activities for the neighborhood.
Placed at the northern end, the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Carmen y Cruz del Rodeo is an important landmark in the neighbourhood. It was an important source of inspiration for the José Zorrilla's Don Juan Tenorio version, since here is placed the convent where the saintly Doña Inés is cloistered.
Also quite close to the Alameda on the street dedicated to the restorer of La Alameda, the Count of Barajas (Conde de Barajas), it is located the house where the romantic writer Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer was born.
The neighborhood is now known as a key nightlife center of Seville by its vibrant, alternative and diverse atmosphere. The entertainment options in La Alameda range from Heavy Metal or Funk music to live Flamenco. Apart from disco-pubs, many Nouvelle Cuisine and traditional restaurants, tapas and cocktails bars, cafés and Arab-style tearooms are found in and around the promenade. La Alameda is also the gay-friendly quarter of Seville, and gay pubs and discotèques spot the area.
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