Sevilla - Andalucía - Spain / España.
Sevilla is situated on the river Guadalquivir at the point where it ceases to be navigable. It has existed as a settlement for aprox 2800 years and the river port was used to ship minerals form the Sierra Morena mountains. The Greeks and phoenicians dominated this trade.
The Romans were next to settle in the area, with general Scipio Africanus founding the city of Itálica for veterans of the Roman army. Emperors Trajan and Hadrian were also born here. Sevilla was to become one of the most important cities in the Roman empire and more trade was conducted here than even Córdoba, which was the capital of Bética.
In the 5th century, with the decline of Rome, the Visigoths arrived to dominate Sevilla and with the conversion of their king to christianity in 589, the city once again became a centre of religious and political life. This did not last long, however and in 711 the Muslim conquest of Spain had begun.
Monument to Columbus (Colón) - Jardines de Murillo (Murillo gardens).
For the next 5 centuries, Sevilla was under Muslim rule. An independant Caliphate was set up in 929 but this collapsed in 1031, almost 100 years later. In 1248 Fernando III conquered the city and his son Alfonso X made it a permanent Royal residence. Pedro I (the cruel) took advantage of an earthquake and reconstructed El Real Alcázar giving birth to the mudéjar style. The building of the Cathedral (la Giralda) was started in 1401 and continued until 1511. At the end of the century Sevilla was now firmly in control of the Catholic monarchs.
Enjoy your visit to Sevilla and don't forget to let us know how your trip went!
