t Walking along the shaded colonnade on the Plaza de España
t Walking along the shaded colonnade on the Plaza de España
Experience Parque María Luisa
The area south of the city centre is dominated by the extensive, leafy Parque María Luisa, Seville’s principal green area. A large part of it originally formed the grounds of the Baroque Palacio de San Telmo, dating from 1682. Today the park is devoted to recreation; with its fountains, flower gardens and mature trees it provides a welcome place to relax during the long, hot summer months. Just north of the park lies Prado de San Sebastián, the former site of the quemadero, the platform where many victims of the Inquisition were burnt to death. The last execution took place here in 1781.
Many of the historic buildings situated within the park were erected for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. This international jamboree sought to reinstate Spain and Andalucía on the world map. Exhibitions from Spain, Portugal and Latin America were displayed in attractive, purpose-built pavilions that are today used as museums, embassies, military headquarters and also cultural and educational institutions. The grand historic five-star Hotel Alfonso XIII and the crescent-shaped Plaza de España are the most striking legacies from this surge of Andalucían pride.
Nearby is the Royal Tobacco Factory, forever associated with the fictional Romani heroine, Carmen, who toiled in its halls. Today it is part of the Universidad, Seville’s university.