Phoenician influence in the Seville area gave rise to the fabled ancient culture of Tartessos, when iron replaced bronze in Andalucía and a new method of working gold was developed. The Roman town of Hispalis was founded in the mid-2nd century BC. Visigothic Hispalis was a bit of a cultural center, especially in the time of its leading scholar, St Isidoro from 565 AD to 636 AD. The Muslims took the city and called it Ishbiliya. After the collapse of the Córdoba Caliphate in 1031, Seville became the most powerful of the taifa states into which Al-Andalus broke up. By 1078, it held sway from the Algarve to Murcia, with its Abbadid dynasty rulers Al-Mutadid and Al-Mutamid presiding over a hedonistic court in their Alcáz. The Almohad caliph Yacoub Yousouf named Seville capital of his entire realm, which stretched as far east as Tunisia, and built a great mosque where the cathedral now stands. His successor Yacoub Yousouf al-Mansour added the Giralda tower and thrashed the Christian armies at Alarcos in 1195. The Christians, however, bounced back with their pivotal victory at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. Almohad power eventually dwindled and Castilla's Fernando III El Santo captured several major Andalucían cities, including Seville, after two years' siege in 1248. Fernando brought an entourage of 24,000 Castilian settlers to Seville, and, by the 14th century, it was the most important Castilian city.

Seville's biggest break followed the discovery of the Americas in 1492. In 1503, the city was granted a monopoly on Spanish trade with the new continent and rapidly became one of the richest, most cosmopolitan cities in Europe. Even though little Madrid was named the capital in 1561, Seville remained Spain's major hub well into the 17th century. Lavish Renaissance and baroque buildings blossomed, and many stars of Spain's artistic golden age - Zubarán, Murillo, Juan de Valdés Leal - were based here. A plague killed half the city's population in 1649. In 1717 the Casa de la Contratación, which controlled commerce with the Americas, was transferred to Cádiz. Another plague in 1800 ravaged 13,000 Sevillians. A limited prosperity resurfaced for a short breath in the mid-19th century with early industrialization. Middle-class optimism was expressed by Seville's first great international fair, the Exposición Iberoamericana in 1929, but the civil war swiftly dashed everyone's hopes. The city fell quickly to the Nationalists at the start of the war despite resistance in working class barrios. Urban development in Franco's time did little for the look and feel of the city, with the demolition of numerous historic buildings. The city received a huge boost from the 1992 Expo World Fair, which was timed to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.

Alcázar

King Pedro the Cruel built this magnificent 14th-century mudéjar or Moorish style palace north of the cathedral. It's the oldest royal residence in Europe still in use: On visits to Seville, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía stay here. Ferdinand and Isabella, who at one time lived in the Alcázar and influenced its architectural evolution, welcomed Columbus here on his return from America.

The visitor will enter through the Puerta del León or Lion's Door, which is flanked by two towers. Continue straight ahead into the Patio de la Montería, where the court once assembled. In the audience chamber here, you can see a replica of the Santa María and an impressive altarpiece, Virgin of the Navigators, which was painted by Alejo Fernández in 1531. From this courtyard the facade of the Palacio Pedro confronts one. Further inside is the Patio de las Doncellas or Court of the Maidens. An upper story was added to this exquisite patio of Moorish arches in the 1500s. Other landmarks in this palace include the Salón de Embajadores or Ambassadors' Hall, constructed in 1427 and dominated by an impressive cedarwood cupola that is often described as a "half orange." This hall also has a trio of symmetrically arranged and ornate arches, each with three horseshoe arches. The Salón del Techo is notable for its coffered ceiling, and the Patio de las Muñecas or Doll's Court is small, but splendidly and delicately ornamented. The Salones de Carlos V lay to the immediate right facing Pedro's palace. These rooms are decorated with beautiful 16th-century tiles, and contain a stunning collection of 16th-century tapestries from Brussels that depict the life of the emperor and his conquest of Tunis in 1535. The gardens or the palace are a wonderful oasis from the heat of a summer day. The Jardín Inglés, modeled on 18th-century English gardens, dates to 1909, and the Jardín de los Poetas or Poets' Garden features two ponds evocative of those once designed by the Arabs

Catedral and Giralda

Seville's immense cathedral stands on the site of the main Almohad mosque, with the mosque's minaret, La Giralda, still towering beside it. Within the cathedral lies a bounty of treasured art as rich as in any of Spain's great churches, including works by Goya, Murillo, and Zurbarán, and on the macabre side, a display of skulls. The main building is one of the world's largest cathedrals, at 126m long and 83m wide. Inside the cathedral's southern door, the Puerta de los Principes, stands the tomb of Seville's greatest sailor, the Italian-born Christopher Columbus, borne by four statues.

Then there is La Giralda, a superbly proportioned and decorated minaret whose color changes with the light, a near perfect example of Islamic building. It now serves as the bell tower for the cathedral. The easy climb up affords great views of the buttresses and pinnacles surrounding the cathedral and the city beyond. Just beyond the Giralda access, and planted with over 60 orange trees is the Patio de los Naranjos, originally the courtyard of the mosque.

El Centro

Seville's true centre stretches north of the Catedral. It's a densely packed aerea of narrow, crooked streets, broken up here and there by plazas around which the life of the city has revolved for eons. Highlights include the Plaza de San Francisco & Calle Sierpes, the city's principal public square since the 16th century; the Plaza Salvador, dominated by the huge red baroque Parroquia del Salvador church; the animated though traffic-infested Plaza de la Alfalfa, and the noble Casa de Pilatos mansion, an intriguing mix of mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance architecture.

Museo Arqueológico

Dazzling highlights of the huge Museo Arqueológico include a room chock full of gold finery from the mysterious Tartessos culture and fine caches of Iberian animal sculptures and Roman mosaics. Artifacts from Visigoth and Moorish cultures which once dominated Spain are also included.

Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares

In a mudéjar pavilion close to the Museo Arqueológico is Seville's museum of folklore artifacts. On its ground floor you see artifacts of traditional occupations, including a forge, a baker's oven, a wine press, and a tanner's shop. Also of interest on this floor is the stunning collection of ceramics. Upstairs is devoted to such exhibitions as the court dress of the 19th century as well as 18th-century fabrics and embroideries from the factories of Seville. One by Murillo, Children Eating Grapes, is particularly evocative. Gold works and a varied collection of paintings and musical instruments are also displayed on this floor.

Visiting Seville

Seville’s airport is serviced by a number of domestic and international flights. There is a bus service that connects with many destinations in Andalusia, the coast, and Portugal. Train service connects the city with Madrid. While most of the important sights are within easy walking distance of one another, there is a bus service that covers the whole of the greater city area. Bicycling is also a good way to see the city, though traffic is somewhat difficult to navigate.