Visitors find this part of the city interesting because of the artistic and architectural wealth represented here. You will find the districts of Santa Cruz and the Judería (Jewish Quarter), El Arenal, la Alameda de Hércules, and an area referred to by some as the Acropolis, with significant monuments such as the
The Arco del Postigo del Aceite (Arch of the
Oil Gate) divides the Acropolis from the
district of Arenal, where you will find the
It is beautiful to walk through the narrow
streets of the districts of Santa Cruz and
the Jewish quarter; you catch glimpses of
the Giralda over the rooftops from time to
time. It was here that the Jews and Hebrews
established themselves after the reconquest
of the city by Ferdinand III The Saint. The
churches are outstanding, many of them
crafted in Mudejar style or with beautiful
Gothic ogives (pointed arches or windows).
The Alameda de Hércules is one of the most
popular parks in Seville. It is said that
Hercules founded Seville. It has a youthful
and cultural atmosphere. During the city's
Exposition of 29 site In the 1920s,
Seville experienced a cultural renaissance
that has been called Regionalismo
(Regionalism), because it coincided with the
rise of Andalusian patriotism championed by
Blas Infante. At this time the Iberoamerican
Exposition of 1929 was held, and many
beautiful buildings were built in a lovely
spot in Seville to mark the occasion. The
nerve centre was the Parque de María Luisa
(Maria Louisa Park).
Between the city centre and these buildings
from the beginning of the 20th century there
are beautiful buildings like the Palacio de
San Telmo (San Telmo Palace), the
headquarters of the Universidad Hispalense
(Seville University, formerly a tobacco
factory), the luxurious Hotel Alfonso XIII,
and a few metres away the Casino de la
Exposición and the Teatro Lope de Vega.
In the Parque de María Luisa are the Plaza
de España and the Plaza de América, as well
as many pavilions built for the Exposition
of 29. Among these are the Royal Pavilion,
and the pavilions of Mudejar, Domecq,
México, Chile and Uruguay (the two latter
are now the head offices of public
institutions).
There are other Latin American pavilions
along the Paseo de las Delicias and the
Avenida de la Palmera, including those of
Guatemala and Cuba. The latter is one of the
most beautiful, and is the current
headquarters for the Delegación del Gobierno
de la Junta de Andalucía (Andalusia
Autonomous Government Headquarters).
Triana
Triana is located on the other bank of the
Guadalquivir River. It is joined to Seville
by several bridges, including that of Isabel
II also known as the Puente de Triana (Triana
Bridge).
Triana has traditionally been a fishing
district. It was once the site of the Reales
Almonas, a factory that produced the most
famous soap in the world. Pottery making has
also historically been an important resource
of this area.
There are plenty of famous streets in Triana,
among them San Jacinto, Betis, Pureza and
Castilla. Triana is a district that is
thought of independently from Seville, in
fact the locals refer to Triana and Seville
separately, as if they were two different
cities.
Churches and chapels abound in Triana. It
even has its own cathedral Iglesia de Santa
Ana). There is also a great tradition of
religious guilds, such as the brotherhoods
of Semana Santa (Easter) like La Estrella,
San Gonzalo, la Esperanza de Triana, El
Cachorro and La O.
This traditional area has many bars where
you can try pescaíto frito (small,
deep-fried fish), such as in the Kiosco de
las Flores, one of Seville's most
characteristic restaurants.
Triana's atmosphere is more reminiscent of
Seville in the 1930s and 1940s, than of
today's overcrowded cities.
Island of la Cartuja
At the end of the 1980s, the Isla de la
Cartuja was practically virgin territory
containing only the Monasterio de Santa
María de las Cuevas (monastery), casa de
Cartujos (house),and the old ceramics
factory of the Marquis of Pickman.
The site was transformed by the Exposition
of 1992. Roads and buildings were
constructed, and the Island of la Cartuja
became one of the most modern areas of
Seville, much sought after by companies
wishing to see up offices here. The
extra-modern Escuela Superior de Ingenieros
de la Universidad Hispalense (Engineering
School of Seville University) and some
private faculties are located here.
It is a spacious and well-lit place,
although an inconvenience is that it is so
spread out that it is not easy to walk from
place to place.
Several attractions are located on the
Island of la Cartuja. Among them are the
fairground
Some of the city's most important art
exhibitions take place in the monastery of
Santa Maria de las Cuevas, such as that
which commemorated the 400th anniversary of
the birth of Velázquez