: Seville. A city of marvels

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

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[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.