Car Hire Seville - Mini guide to Seville
One of Spain’s most historic cities, and once the seat of the Spanish crown, Seville is Andalusia’s principal centre and is popular with visitors. Ancient and proud, the city boasts fine Moorish and Iberian architecture and a unique atmosphere.
Seville's immense cathedral has the largest floor space of any house of worship in the world, and within its lavish interior is Christopher Columbus' tomb. The adjoining tower, La Giralda, dates from the 13th century and offers fine views of this flat city.
Right across a pretty square is the grand Alcázar, one of Spain’s most important palaces. King Alfonso and later, Queen Isabella, ruled the entire Iberian Peninsula from this palace, which dates from 913. Its distinctly Moorish relief work and immaculately tended gardens are complemented by the exquisite Palacio de Don Pedro.
In this vicinity is the medieval Judería (Jewish quarter), a tangle of quaint winding streets and lovely plazas known as the Barrio de Santa Cruz. El Centro is the livelier centre of modern Seville, centred around the Plaza de San Francisco and Calle Sierpes.
Since 1785, the Archivo de Indias has been the main archive of Spain's American empire. Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza on Paseo de Cristóbal Colón is one of the oldest and most famous bullrings in Spain, dating from 1758.
The photogenic façade of the grand Plaza de España is one of the city's favourite relaxation spots, with spouting fountains and mini-canals in the ‘parque’ fronting it. Of the many churches the Basílica de la Macarena is the most famous. The Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum) is the most notable of the city’s excellent museums.
