Seville history

Tracing back to the Roman times, Seville was founded over 2,000 years ago and had since served as the base for various civilizations. Having adopted renaissance, baroque and Arabic heritage, the city has emerged with a unique character and strong influences from its ancestors.

As Seville flourished tremendously during the Roman times, several monuments were built then and have survived to this day, such as the city’s aqueduct. Seville was taken by the Muslims in 712 and given its present name, a derivative of its Roman name, Hispalis. The city’s architecture and arts were strongly influenced by the Moorish culture. Today, they are still very much alive in modern-day Seville and can be observed in the Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias. After the Christians reclaimed Seville in the 14th century, the city prospered to become a major trading port as merchants from Europe had to sail to Seville to obtain trade goods from the New World.

In the 19th century, Seville quickly recovered from the devastations of the civil war. It was the hosting of the 1929 Spanish-American Exhibition that introduced Seville into the new world. As a result, numerous modern buildings were constructed, such as the Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España. In 1992, Seville once again played host to the Expo which led to the construction of more modern complexes on the Isla de Cartuja.

Today, Seville has transformed into a developed cultural hub in Spain and a major tourist destination for international visitors.