Those who have never visited Seville will be instantly
seduced by the provinces romantic allure and overwhelmed by the amount of
cultural wealth that this city has to offer. Now the capital of Andalusia, Seville was
founded as the Roman city of Hispalis, which later
became Ishbiliyya after the Muslim conquest in 712. The city
has a long and distinguished history and it was one of the principle towns
during the Roman era. Julius Caesar spent time in Seville, and the emperors
Hadrian and Trajan were born in the settlement of Italica, an elaborate Roman
city situated seven kilometres outside Seville in the dusty town of Santiponce.
Seville became a favoured residence of the Spanish
monarchy after the Christian re-conquest in the thirteenth century; and the
discovery of the New World, more than two hundred years later, would make
Seville one of the liveliest and most cosmopolitan cities in Europe: a status
it retains today.
This iconic city has featured in the works of many
artists over the past 200 years because of its longstanding association with its
mysterious Gypsies and their flamenco. Numerous celebrated literary figures
visited the town during the 19th century, and these were followed by some of
the most influential writers of the 20th century. This ‘golden age’ gave Seville
its storybook image, because it was a time when writers from all parts of
Europe began to tell of its strange customs and traditions.
The
‘Romantics’ have played an important role in promoting to the outside world Seville’s
fascinating folklore and the colourful history associated with it. [1] It would appear that much of
what fascinated these literary figures is still to
be found there today.
When one
first experiences the zealousness of Seville’s fiestas, the passion of its
music and dance, the richness of the culture, the enticing gastronomic
tradition - along with the Roman and Moorish monuments and relics comingled
with its utterly Catholic backcloth - one might begin to understand the
mystifying appeal Seville contains.
The tiny backstreets of Santa Cruz, the old Jewish
district, are where Mudejar, Gothic and Baroque architecture mix in harmony,
and cobbled streets perfumed with incense, jasmine and orange blossom have
statues and monuments at every turn. Here, a winding maze of traditional tapas
bars, restaurants and bodegas will tantalize the taste buds of the most ardent
foodies, while lovers of music will become absorbed in the mysterious world of flamenco
- as the sound of clicking castanets, tapping heels and finger snapping seem to
follow one wherever they go.
Sevillians
like to celebrate, and local and national fiestas that offer the true ambience
of this glorious city continuingly interrupt daily life. Imagine for one
moment, a silent, darkened cobbled side street—illuminated only by candlelight
and perfumed by the aromas of incense—during Easter, when the devotees are forced to manoeuvre a grand baroque float carrying the
image of the Virgin, whilst shuffling along the narrow, cobbled streets
on their knees. The emotion aroused in situations such as these will offer an
opportunity to experience the undiluted passion of the people, for it is they,
and their customs, that make Seville one of the most spectacular destinations
in Europe. An Andalusian adage declares, “He who has not seen Seville
has seen no marvels.” When one visits the city for the first time, the true
merit of this old saying will become apparent.
Excerpt from the forthcoming book - Seville. A city of marvels by Tony Bryant
[1] Romanticism was an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement
that evolved towards the end of the 18th century in Europe. It was
characterised by its emphasis on individualism as well as the glorification of
the past, and reached its peak in the first half of the 19th century.
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