Seville: 10 Things to Do
The city is full of orange trees and quaint cobbled streets. We visited the week before Semana Santa because the hotel rates increase about three-fold for the week in April before Easter.
1. Semana Santa Floats
Though we missed the actual parades of the special week (the week before Easter), we poked our noses into many churches (and there is literally about 1 church per block) and found floats on display. This is surely not the case for other times of the year, since some small churches were so full with the floats there was nowhere to hold a service. The visits to the churches are free, so you lose nothing (though many have a donation box out suggesting a 1 Euro cultural appreciation fee). The floats are highly decorative, and huge–carried by dozens of people.
On the Wednesday preceding the start of Semana Santa, the shops which sell custom outfits for the holiday had lines and it was interesting to see the kids getting fitted for their first costumes. See our separate page on Semana Santa.
On Friday, April 1, a week and 2 days before the start of Semana Santa, we saw a procession at 9:15pm on C. Doña María Coronel, starting at the intersection with C.Gerona and turning up at the intersection with C. Duenas. Were they practicing or was this another ceremony of the Easter season? We don’t know, but it was neat to watch.
This beautiful complex of homes and gardens opened in 2016 and is a pleasant way to spend an hour or two. The Palacio is owned by the 19th Duke of Alba (Carlos Fitz-James Stuart y Martinez de Irujo) and has been in the same family for over 4 centuries. The oldest standing portion of the complex was built in the 15th century, with additional houses built over the next several centuries slowly absorbed into the property. The entire first level of the complex is open for visitors, and contains a variety of paintings, sculptures and furniture owned by the family. Additionally, several rooms contain photos and memorabilia from the present Duke and family, including rooms focusing on dance, bullfighting and riding.
The gardens contain many varieties of both native and introduced species, including, of course, many orange trees as well as liana trees and hibiscus bushes. The main garden is the biggest at perhaps half an acre. There are smaller gardens tucked off in several corners of the complex.
3. Italica (rhymes with “Metallica”…)
The official website is hard to navigate; there is more info on Wikipedia. This Roman city was founded as the first large city outside of Italy in about 200 BC. It grew to a population of about 10,000 people at its height, and the emperors Hadrian and Trajan were both born here. Like many ruins, for centuries, succeeding groups of people recycled, mangled or otherwise appropriated stones, tiles, mosaics, pillars and decorative art for their own purposes. In the early 1900s, Spain passed several laws to protect ancient sites with Italica being one of the main drivers for that.
How is this site? In a nutshell, it’s awesome. There are two sections: the amphitheater and the town. The amphitheater alone is an amazing experience. It could hold 25,000 screaming fans when it was built. You can also wander through the side passages, peer over into the basement holding pens under the main stage, and take a path above the amphitheater to get a view from the stands.
The town is mostly foundations with low walls. There are a few intact sections and, I think, some re-creations. Probably the most intact components are the mosaics. A number of homes have mostly or entirely intact mosaics, still showing their intricate designs or scenes, some in a rainbow of bright colors. Some additional highlights include intact latrines (a stone bench with holes and drainage underneath!) and a very large Roman bath (which you can see from a scaffold overlooking the site), and the sewer system.
How to get there: Take the 170 bus (also called the 1720 on Google for some reason) that goes directly from Sevilla (Plaza de Armas bus station), ending at Italica – it only takes 30 minutes to get there (see Getting around in Spain for more info on the bus). On weekdays, there are typically 2 buses per hour. On weekends, there are 2 buses per hour mornings through mid-afternoon and then 1 bus per hour through the evening.
Cost is theoretically euro 1.50 for non-EU citizens, but the day we were there, there was no one in the ticket booth, so free!
The Casa de Pilatos is another palace in Seville and is the permanent residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli.
The houses and grounds are an amazing mix of Renaissance architecture and Islamic design (e.g., Mudejar honeycomb on several ceilings).
We were able to wander around the first floor of the palace and grounds. While the second floor has been partially open in the past, one of the employees told us that the second floor has been closed for several years for remodeling. Nevertheless, the first floor is still absolutely worth seeing.
The Seville Cathedral (formal name: Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) was constructed in parts over several centuries. It was originally built as a mosque in the 12th. century but then turned into a cathedral in the 13th century when Seville was conquered by Christians. The main parts of the church were built in the 15th and early 16th centuries.
This is a fun way to spend an hour or two as it is part museum, part architectural wonder, and of course part religious attraction. The Cathedral is simply massive and the largest in Europe – photos can’t really capture how big it is. There are many alcoves and rooms containing religious objects, several monstrous pipe organs and the final resting place of Christopher Columbus’ remains (he was originally buried in Valladolid, Spain but his remains moved around the Caribbean and finally Seville in 1898).
6. La Giralda (bell tower) (on same site and can enter with joint ticket for Seville Cathedral)
The Giralda was the minaret to the original mosque, and was converted to a bell tower when the mosque was converted into a cathedral. Unlike most bell towers, you get to the top via a series of ramps (rather than stairs) with high ceilings. Apparently, back in the day, riders on horseback would ascend to the top thus the unusual design. The upside of this that climbing to the top of the 100 meter tower is easy.
On Thursdays, the Cathedral and Giralda are free! Normally the combined ticket is euro 11.50.
7. Casa Fabiola
A recently opened house (2018) containing the art collection of a well-known Sevillan couple. The art focuses on 19th century Spanish art, particularly agricultural and cultural scenes (e.g., flamenco and bull-fighting). Normally euro 1.50 but free on Sundays.
8. Real Alcazar
The Royal Palace or Real Alcazar is the seat of the Spanish king. Much of the building complex and gardens are open for visitors to wander and explore. The palace was built on the ruins of a Muslim palace (al-Qasr; alcazar) starting in the 13th century and construction continued for five centuries as each monarch added their stamp (or building).
DO THE ROYAL ROOMS ADD ON: We first went to the Cuarto Real Alto (royal rooms) on the second floor with a small group. You get a good audioguide that describes what you are seeing, including the royal dining room, king’s receiving room, smoking/billiard room, and various bedrooms (unfortunately without much furniture). The furnishings in these rooms while sparse are beautiful examples of tapestries, paintings, furniture and clocks. No photos were allowed in the sections.
Then we wandered throughout the palace and extensive gardens. Spectacular architecture and tile work throughout the entire complex.
Be sure to buy your tickets in advance. We bought ours 2 days before. Get the ticket that combines general admission with the Cuarto Real Alto (the royal rooms). The entry point is at the Puerta del Leon (Lion Gate). Fortunately with an e-ticket, you can typically stroll right in (if you see a line, it may be for people going in without timed tickets). We planned to go to the royal bedrooms first at the time listed on the ticket. To get to that area, go straight through the small courtyard, and then through the slightly larger courtyard where the entry arch to the Pedro I building faces you, and the stairs for the Cuarto Real Alto will be on the right near the end of this larger courtyard.
9. Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (Bull fighting arena)
We bought our tickets an hour in advance for a specific time because we thought it was a guided tour. Turns out there was no tour but there was a small museum dedicated to bullfighting and access to the arena. At the time we were there, the arena workers were smoothing out the field and adding additional sand in preparation for the bullfighting season, which starts in mid/late April. The museum contains a lot of posters for bullfights, paintings of famous matadors, and a surprisingly large number of both heads and full bodies of famous bulls that were killed in the ring.
10. Torre de Oro
Free visit! 3 Euro suggested donation. This Islamic tower along the river was built in the 13th century. Originally a similar tower was across the river and a chain was connected between the two towers just at or above water level to prevent ships from sailing further. Today, the tower contains a small naval museum, which was more interesting than I expected. For example, the Spanish navy blockaded or otherwise captured two British ship convoys that were planning to assist British efforts in the American War of Independence – the signage suggested that this was the reason that the Americans won the war… Plus you can take the 91 steps to the top of the tower and get a great view of the river, the Cathedral and the Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (Bull fighting arena).
Combine this with a walk along the river. It’s a lovely place to stroll.
tore de oro
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