t Boats on the Río Guadalquivir during Triana’s Vela de Santa Ana festival
Named after the Roman emperor Trajan, this quarter has, since early times, been famous for its potteries and plenty of workshops still produce and sell tiles and ceramics. Once Seville’s Romani quarter, this barrio also has a reputation for producing great bullfighters, sailors and flamenco artists. It remains a traditional working-class district, with compact, flower-filled streets and a tangibly independent atmosphere.
t Boats on the Río Guadalquivir during Triana’s Vela de Santa Ana festival
EXPERIENCE Across the River
t The atmospheric streets of Triana
Triana may seem a world away from the grandeur of central Seville, but it’s just as enchanting as the areas on the other side of the Río Guadalquivir, and there is plenty to keep you occupied here. Visitors to Triana can buy tiles and wander through its narrow streets during the day, and enjoy the lively bars and romantic views across the river at night. Worth a visit is the museum dedicated to Triana’s ceramic-making tradition – the Centro Cerámica Triana. On display here are tiles decorated by the architect Aníbal González, as well as 16th-century kilns, tools and materials. To discover a different side of Triana’s history, head to the Museo de la Inquisición, in the Castillo de San Jorge, which examines the events of the Spanish Inquisition through paintings and dramatizations.
Insider Tip
Take a two-and-a-half-hour workshop at Barro Azul, where you’ll learn some basic ceramic techniques, before painting a tile that you can take home with you (www.barroazul.es).
EXPERIENCE Across the River
Two Christians working in the Triana potteries in the 3rd century became Seville’s patron saints after they were thrown to the lions by the Romans for refusing to join a procession venerating Venus. Their martyrdom has inspired many works by Sevillian artists, including those by Antonio María Esquivel.