t Potted orange trees surround the elegant patio of the Hotel Alfonso XIII
This is Seville’s best-known luxury hotel, named after King Alfonso XIII who reigned until 1931, when Spain became a republic. It was built for visitors to the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition. The building is in Regionalista style, decorated with azulejos, wrought iron and ornate brickwork. Its centrepiece is a grand colonnaded patio with a fountain. Non-residents are welcome to visit the hotel’s bars and restaurants.
t Potted orange trees surround the elegant patio of the Hotel Alfonso XIII
Experience Parque maría Luisa
The hot-blooded cigarreras of Seville’s tobacco factory inspired the French author Prosper Mérimée to create his famous Romani heroine, Carmen. The short story he wrote in 1845 tells the tragic tale of a wild, sensual woman who turns her affections from a soldier to a bullfighter and is then murdered by her spurned lover. Bizet based his famous opera of 1875 on this impassioned drama, which established Carmen as the incarnation of Spanish romance.
Part of Seville University now occupies a building that was formerly the Real Fábrica de Tabacos (Royal Tobacco Factory). This was a popular attraction for 19th-century travellers in search of Romantic Spain. Three-quarters of Europe’s cigars were manufactured here at that time, rolled by over 3,000 cigarreras (female cigar-makers). These women were the inspiration behind Mérimee’s novella Carmen, and Georges Bizet’s opera of the same name.
The factory complex is the largest building in Spain after El Escorial in Madrid and was built between 1728 and 1771. The moat and watchtowers show the importance given to protecting the king’s lucrative tobacco monopoly. To the right of the main entrance is the former prison where workers caught smuggling tobacco were kept. To the left is the chapel.
The discovery of tobacco in the Americas is celebrated in the principal portal, which has busts of Columbus and Cortés. This part of the factory was once used as residential quarters – to either side of the vestibule lie patios with plants and ironwork. Ahead, the Clock Patio and Fountain Patio lead to the former working areas. The tobacco leaves were first dried on the roof, then shredded by donkey-powered mills below.
When Seville University took over the building in 1950, tobacco production moved to a less distinguished factory on the other side of the river. This new factory closed in 2007, bringing Seville’s tobacco-making tradition to an end.
INSIDER TIP
Seville is the setting for more than 100 operas. Learn about this musical heritage – and hear some of the famous tunes – on a city tour with a soprano (www.sevillaofficialtours.com).
Lope de Vega (1562–1635), often called “the Spanish Shakespeare”, wrote more than 1,500 plays. This Neo-Baroque theatre, which honours him, was opened in 1929 as a casino and theatre for the Ibero-American Exposition. Its domed and colonnaded buildings are still used to stage performances and plays. Savour a coffee amid the faded opulence of the adjacent Café del Casino, housed in a 1920s ballroom.
t The extraordinary sculpted portal in the façade of the Palacio de San Telmo
This imposing palace was built in 1682 to serve as a marine university, training navigators and high-ranking officers. It is named after St Telmo, patron saint of navigators. In 1849 the palace became the residence of the dukes of Montpensier – until 1893 its vast grounds included what is now Seville’s glorious Parque María Luisa. The palace was a seminary from 1901 until 1989, when it became the presidential headquarters of the Junta de Andalucía (the autonomous Andalucían government).
Overlooking the Avenida de Roma is the palace’s star feature, the exuberant Churrigueresque portal designed by architect Antonio Matías de Figueroa, and completed in 1734. Surrounding the Ionic columns are allegorical figures representing the nautical arts and sciences. St Telmo, the patron saint of sailors (also known as St Elmo), can be seen holding a ship and charts, flanked by the sword-bearing St Ferdinand and St Hermenegildo with a cross.
The north façade, which is on Avenida de Palos de la Frontera, is crowned by a row of sculptures of Sevillian celebrities. These sculptures were added in 1895 by Antonio Susillo. Among them are representations of several notable artists such as Murillo, Montañés and Velázquez.
Experience Parque maría Luisa
|
EAT Restaurante Oriza Expect tantalizing and elegant Basque-Andalucían cuisine at this eatery. The setting is a delightful 20th-century mansion. F8 ⌂ Calle San Fernando 41 ∑ restauranteoriza.com ¡¡¡ Cristina and Co. Bistró Feast on a tempting choice of traditional dishes given a modern touch here. Whether you’re in the mood for their flavourful vegetable dishes, savoury stews, juicy meats or fresh seafood, you won’t be disappointed by Cristina and Co. Bistró. F8 ⌂ Calle San Fernando 19 § 606 41 64 58 ¢ D Wed, Sat & Sun ¡¡¡ |