Preface - Seville: A legacy of enchantment
The idea for this book was born while
admiring the splendorous Plaza de España, something I have enjoyed on numerous
occasions over the last 30 years. This inspirational collection of
architecture, one of the largest and most impressive in Seville, was constructed
for the world exhibition that the city hosted in 1929, an event that changed
the face of the city centre and pinned Seville on the world map. But it was not
the elegance and beauty of this area, known as the Venice of Seville, that
inspired me, but the thought of what Seville would be like without it.
My fascination with Seville began many
years ago while researching the art of flamenco and the people who best perform
it, the Andalusian Gypsies. This was a time when I relied on the writings of
Richard Ford, the 19th century English travel writer known for his
books about Spain; and George Borrow, another Englishman whose books, The
Bible in Spain, and The Zincali, were the first widely-read books
with accurate first-hand information on the Gypsies of Andalucía. Along with
Ford’s A Handbook for Travellers in Spain, these books
presented a Seville that has changed greatly, yet they offered a window into
the 19th century social, cultural and religious backcloth of the
city, which at that time was still enclosed in its fortified walls.
Many books have been published about the
history of Seville, especially about its Islamic period and the eventual
reconquest of the country by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I and Ferdinand
II. This book focuses on the last 200 years, from the invasion of Seville by
Napolean’s troops during the War of Independence (1808-1814), until the arrival
of the likes of Lord Byron, Washington Irving and Richard Ford. Since then,
elements like the walls and most of the gateways have vanished, and sprawling
areas like Plaza de España and Parque María Luisa have appeared.
My aim was to try to imagine the 19th
century Seville that captivated these early romantic travellers, and compare it
to the cosmopolitan city that has become one of the most attractive
destinations in Europe today.
The majority of the romantics, like Ford,
arrived in Seville aboard a steamboat along the Guadalquivir river, although
the skyline that confronted them has changed greatly since then. Describing
Seville as ‘stately’, Ford declared it was his favourite Spanish city, although
whether he would be of the same opinion today is something we will never know.
But what was it that so fascinated these
early romantic writers and artists, and more to the point, does Seville still
contain that Oriental flavour that imbued the city during the 19th
century?
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