Seville Nightlife

Posted by seville | seville | Monday 27 April 2009 12:10 pm

Seville is much appreciated city of Spain, and a very cultured and peaceful population was found here; The Tartessos. When you arrive to this city, you will immediately notice that you are in the centre of the Andalusian culture, the centre of bullfighting and flamenco.

This is a city with a long history of gastronomy. In the city you can find many restaurants where you can try the many and varied dishes such as: Gazpacho (cold soup with vegetables and tomatoes), fried fish with Flamenco Eggs (fried eggs with tomato sauce) and chorizo (which is a typical Spanish sausage) all washed down with the typical wine of the region.

Seville Nightlife

If you like the popular festivals you must came to visit this city in spring, in April to be exact as here you will find one of the most popular festivals of Spain. All the women wear the typical Sevillana or Flamenco style dresses whether young or old, it doesn’t matter. All the marquees are decorated with coloured lights and lanterns, and you can enjoy a nice glass of wine in the evening. This event continues for a whole week, and you can also see some of the most important bullfights in the country.

It is fantastic to visit the city in spring or in the summer and the evenings are especially pleasant. It’s very hot during the day but at night the city comes to life. A stroll accross the bridge of San Telmo when the city is completely illuminated and you can see the fantastic view of the Golden Tower. You can visit the historic places not only during the day, but also during the night such as: the Cathedral, the Giralda, the Archive of the Indies and The Nasrid Palaces. It all makes for a unique and intense experience.

To enjoy the true Andalusian ambience you shouldn’t forget the most important district of the city: Santa Cruz, whose little streets and alleyways represent Seville’s history and legends. During the nights the streets are very beautiful, and in the little bars you get to experience the true flavour of the city.

Enjoy one of the most characteristic and charismatic cities of Spain. Rent apartments in Seville this spring or summer, you have an unbelievable time.

Seville Spring Fair 2009

Posted by seville | seville | Tuesday 14 April 2009 9:43 am

From 28th March to 3rd May Seville will celebrate one of the most popular holidays of Andalucia, the Seville Spring Fair or La Feria de Abril. It is a very ancient tradition, with over 150 years of history. In the month of August 1846, two men Narciso Boneplata and José María de Ybarra – curiously one Basque and one Catalan–, asked for the guarantee of an annual celebration for the city of Seville. The Mayor said yes and so from this time the famous Seville Spring Fair was born.

Since that time it has become one of the most emblematic holidays of Andalucia, and along with the Holy Week, it is now the centre of gatherings for Seville’s citizens and tourists. For one week, la tertulia, friends, dancing, eating, drinking and the desire to have fun will became the centre of Seville life.

Seville Spring Fair

As with every year, the holiday starts with the ceremony of Illumination, illuminating the forty metre high main gate. This tradition is named “Enlightened Monday”. This holiday lasts one week from Monday to Sunday and starts with a fish dinner and lasts for seven days. On the last day which is Sunday, there will be the bullfighting and the fireworks display.

The highlight of the holiday is a miniature reproduction of the city of Seville and it will be placed in the district of “Los Remedios”. Their streets are named after famous bullfighters such as Curro Romero, Joselito El Gallo and Ricardo Torres “Bombita”. All of this is added to the typical little houses called casetas or marquees that the citizens build a few days before the holidays, with many floral and colored decorations. The City Hall gives different gifts to the best marquees.

During these days people eat fried fish as it is very typical and also drink “manzanilla” or “fino” wines. In the afternoon the bullfighting takes place with a chance to see the most famous characters of this art form. Afterwards, the party continues until the morning.

During this event you can eat, drink and listen to music and dance the Sevillana (a typical Andalusian dance). There are many places where you can relax and take it easy and other places where you can have a drink or eat some Seville tapas.

Rent Apartments in Seville. Enjoy these fun-filled days at the Seville Spring Fair and the best in Seville’s culture and traditions; it will be fascinating for sure. Don’t miss it!

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Moorish architecture and Spanish architecture in Seville

Posted by seville | seville | Monday 6 April 2009 11:26 am

You think you already know it all about Seville, the art of flamenco, the delicious tapas, the gypsy music… but do you know that the capital of Andalucía hides some amazing treasures of architecture from all over the centuries? The city is unique in Spain and its architecture reflects all the richness of its history, starting with the influence of the Arabs. Seville was one of the first cities to fall into the hands of the Moors in 712, and was even from 1170 to 1212 the capital of the Moorish empire.

Seville Spain

After the discovery of America, its harbor became the largest in Europe. Numerous goods were traded there and a mixture of cultures and populations invaded the city.

Come and discover with us the treasures of the city. We’ll begin our visit with:

The Giralda Tower

This magnificent tower is the former minaret of the Great Mosque of Seville.
When the Muslims were driven out of Spain, the mosque became a cathedral, and the minaret became…. a bell tower! The Arabs were so proud of their tower that they were considering destroying it before the arrival of the Christians. It is considered to be the twin sister of the Kutubia tower of Marrakech and of the great tower of the mosque of Al-Hassan in Rabat, Morocco.
At the top you can see a weathercock, “the Giraldillo”, which symbolizes the victory of the Christian Faith, a piece created by Bartolome Morel between 1566 and 1568.

The tower has been converted since the Arab time into the symbol of the city, and is adored by the population; it is even forbidden to build something that would be higher than the famous tower! You can even climb to the top which is an amazing 82 metres high, and enjoy a scenic view over the city.

The Cathedral

Next to the tower of the Giralda is the cathedral of Seville, built on the site of the former mosque. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the largest building ever built in medieval times. In 1928 it was declared a National Monument and classified by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Its appearance has evolved over the centuries; the only evidence of the ancient mosque is the famous Patio of the Orange trees. The cathedral houses many works of art, for instance the altar piece, one of the largest in the world (27metres high and 18 metres wide). In the Sacristy of Calices you could admire paintings of great value, such as the Santa Justa and Santa Rufina, both painted by Goya. You can also see the tomb of Christopher Columbus.

The Alcázar

Not far from the cathedral is another pearl of the architecture of Seville:
The Alcazar, the oldest royal palace in Europe. It is not a single palace but a series of buildings constructed by the monarchs since the Islamic time. Different styles come together, Islamic, Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance. In the tenth century, Abdurrahman III built the first building, which was referred to as Dar al-Imara or “house of the Governor.” Only the ramparts remain. From the period of the Almohads remain the Patio del Yeso and a section of wall. The ornamentation of the patio has served as an inspiration for the great Alhambra in Granada. The architectural beauty of these palaces is so grand that you could spend a whole day contemplating it and trying to decipher from which centuries each part belongs to!

You must admire the great doors (1366), the dome, which was built in 1427, the rich decoration of the wall tiles, the large number of rooms that have kept their original furniture, and the chapel where the Virgin of the Sailors painted by Alejo Fernández is kept. It is also the first representation in Europe of the discovery of America!

The gardens of the Alcazar are amazingly beautiful and reflect the different styles of gardening used throughout the centuries. Over the years the gardens have been enriched with plants from all over the world.

Aren’t you convinced yet? Hurry up and book your trip and rent Apartments in Seville to enjoy the good weather and discover a wonderful and unique Spanish architecture. Andalucía is waiting for you!