Tag: architecture

Centro del Mudéjar

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mudejar centre
The Palace of the Marqueses of the Algaba is home to Sevilla’s newest cultural centre, this one dedicated to the legacy of the Mudéjars of the 13th – 16th centuries. The palace was first built in this period and is worth a visit itself. Although it has undergone reforms since then it still boasts a splendid example of a mudéjar-gothic grand doorway and tower, as well as a lush central courtyard garden enclosed by arched walkways.

The centre opened on January 12th with an exhibit bringing together 111 pieces from different museums.

Centro del Mudéjar
Plaza Calderón de la Barca
(just behind Feria Market)
8 am – 2 pm / 5 pm – 8 pm Monday to Friday
Saturdays 8 am – 2 pm. Closed Sunday.
Admission is free.

The Flavour of Seville

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It was not long after I’d started my Sevilla Tapas Tours that I met travel and food writer Shaney Hudson. On Twitter, natch. Shaney had said she was going to be in town doing some research and we met up to spend a very pleasant evening visiting a few tapas bars and ending up having late night cocktails on a rooftop bar somewhere… who, us?

So when Shaney came back to Sevilla this past April to do a feature for Virgin Australia’s Voyeur magazine it was great to get together once again and “do tapas”. We went to three of my favourite places (Vineria San Telmo, La Azotea and Bodeguita Romero) and we had a great time. We tasted the best pringá in Sevilla, totally melt-in-your mouth slow-cooked pig’s cheeks in red wine, and beautiful langoustine carpaccio. I know, it’s a tough job but…

Because this article was about feasts for the eyes as well as for the tummy, my lovely friend Fourat (aka Lebanicious) very generously arranged an interview with Seville’s most prominent living architect, Rafael Manzano, so Shaney could get a unique insight into the city’s history and culture.

As always, Shaney writes with heart and with a style that really captures the essence of a place, and what couldn’t be said with words was brilliantly captured by photographer Helen Cathcart. Read all about it…

The Flavour of Seville

words by Shaney Hudson
photos by Helen Cathcart


Sevilla Walking Tours

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Today’s post is by guest writer Peter Tatford (aka Sevilla English)
who tells us about his unique walking tour service.

Pretty much wherever you go on holiday these days, one of the services you’ll find on offer will be guided tours of the city, and/or its individual monuments and museums. These can be fun, informative and useful, but during the seven years I’ve lived in Seville, I’ve all too often seen large herds of tourists following disconsolately in the wake of a single guide, and wondered what they were getting out of it. And it started me thinking “What would I like a walking tour to be like?”

My walking tours are designed to be small and informal, so people can feel personally involved with what they see, and can ask questions or add their own comments or experiences without feeling intimidated.

There’s a mix of history, legend, and anecdote, which Seville has plenty of, and I also point out some of the best places to eat, suggest places to go and things to do, and say something about what it’s like to live here.

Even though I have lived here for over seven years, I am always discovering new things about the city’s customs and culture, its past, and how, timeless though it seems, it is, in fact, a living, breathing community.

The Sevilla I will show you is my Sevilla. I hope you will find it as beautiful and fascinating as I do.

We usually start at 10.30 and the tours are about two hours long – there may also be a coffee break included, depending on the route taken. You will either be picked up at your hotel, or a central meeting point will be arranged.

For more information or to book a tour you can contact me at:

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Metropol Parasol

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Undecided…

This past Sunday was the official opening of the Metropol Parasol – aka Las Setas (wild mushrooms). I stayed away from the celebrations but snapped this pic of it yesterday once everything was back to the usual work-a-day crowds. While it was going up, which took years, I hated the damn thing as much as everyone else seemed to and couldn’t imagine how such a monstrosity would “fit” into such a beautiful old city as Sevilla. Though it’s actually sitting in the middle of the Encarnación Plaza, which had its heart and soul cut out of it during a fit of sixties “rebuilding” which destroyed palaces and old houses and left a strip of hideous office buildings and storefronts. But I digress…

The Setas (how can you not call them that?) are on the original site of the Encarnación Market which was levelled and moved to a “temporary” site next door … about 35 years ago. I don’t know the whole story there other than the original site was pretty much a parking lot when I first moved to Sevilla in 1993, then they started digging it up and discovered ruins that held up any building for several years. And then they started constructing The Setas.

The market was shifted over just before Christmas last year and although the building is now officially “open” there’s still some construction going on. When the scaffolding first started coming down, unveiling the first seta (in the foreground of the photo) I was startled to find myself liking how elegant it looked, swooping up towards the sky. But as more of the structure became visible I became less entranced. So I remain undecided. I guess the real test will be how well the site ends up being used. Aside from the market there will be bars and restaurants (coming soon!), and there’s a big shaded area up on the first level which has a small playground for children, benches for adults, and will apparently be used for concerts. There is also a walkway along top of the structure with panoramic views of the city which residents of Sevilla will be able to access free of charge. Anyhow, for better or worse, there it is.

What do you think?