While traveling throughout southern Spain in the Andalusia region, you will not want to miss the city of Seville (or Sevilla in Spanish). Seville is actually the capital of the Andalusia region and is full of Spanish culture and treasures of traveling such as the Plaza de España. There are so many interesting places to visit within Seville, like the Cathedral, the Royal Alcazar and the Bull Ring, but the Plaza de España is one spectacular treasure you won’t want to miss.
A Brief History of Plaza de España
Believe it or not, one of Spain’s most recognizable squares, the Plaza de España is actually less than a hundred years old. It was originally designed and constructed for the Ibero-American Exposition World’s Fair that took place in Seville in 1929 to bring Spain together with its former Latin American colonies by sharing culture and promoting positive relationships among the participating countries. It also showcased Spain’s accomplishments in architecture and industry with the rest of the world. They wanted to modernize the city, promote tourism, improve employment (as they had over 1,000 workers constructing the plaza) and strengthening relationships with South American and North American countries all while enhancing the overall image of Seville.
Origins of the Plaza de España
Plaza de España was designed by a local Sevillian architect named Aníbel González. Construction on the plaza began in 1914, but it took them many years to complete it because of interruptions from World War I and Spain’s political issues with Morocco. It was finally completed in 1928, the year before the World Fair.
Design of Plaza de España
The magnificence of Plaza de España, is that it is designed in a semicircular layout and when standing right in the middle of the plaza, taking in the exquisite detail through your own eyes, the plaza will hug you, almost literally. The city of Seville itself might hug you with its charm, but the shape of this plaza hugs you as you stand looking in awe at the plaza’s magnificent beauty! At the center of the semi circle is a spectacular fountain that is surrounded by a moat and the building structure itself. There are four bridges that cross the moat and each signify one of the ancient Spanish Kingdoms of Castile, Navarre, Aragón and León. This masterpiece of a building was designed with a blend of Renaissance and Moorish inspired architectural styles and covered with red brick as well as brightly colored painted ceramic tiles (called azulejos in Spanish). The building has a tall tower at each end, called North and South respectively. The entire building is pointing in the direction of the new world and the countries Spain once ruled over in the new world.
Surrounding the building are 48 small alcoves with benches, each dedicated to a province of Spain and decorated with art from each of those regions. What stands out the most is the intricate details of the ceramic tiles showcasing the name of the province, depictions of the coat of arms and a map of each province, along with some historical facts. This plaza is not only charming for tourists, but also for Spanish tourists visiting Seville because they have photos taken of themselves and family in front of the province they are from. Today, the building houses various government offices, including the National Geographic Institute and the Foreign Office (important for tourists to apply for the ID documentation), just to name a few.
Plaza de España is located within María Luisa Park
Plaza de España is located in María Luisa Park, a gigantic urban park that encompases the entire southern end of the city. It was designed with Moorish influences so it is filled with gardens, flowers, fountains, palm trees and orange trees. There are also multiple pavilions throughout the park that were also constructed for the World Fair, showcasing some of the other Latin American countries. It’s a beautiful park to walk around and explore or by taking a romantic horse and carriage ride through the park and around the plaza as well. Some of the other large buildings within the park are now museums and offices, including the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Arts and Popular Customs.
Getting to Plaza de España
It’s quite easy to find Plaza de España from anywhere in Seville because it’s so large and because the two towers stand so tall, they can be seen for miles in all directions. They are actually just a little bit smaller than the Bell Tower of the Seville Cathedral. The Plaza is located at the North entrance of the María Luisa Park, very close to the University of Seville. The Plaza is actually not that far from the central part of Seville, where you will find the Seville Cathedral, the Royal Alcázar of Seville, the Plaza de San Francisco and the lively Santa Cruz neighborhood. From this area, you can reach María Luisa Park and the Plaza de España on foot in about 10 to 20 minutes based on your walking speed. One of the most relaxing ways to get from this central part of Seville to the Plaza de España is to ride in a horse drawn carriage. You can pick up one of the carriages from the Plaza de San Francisco.
Take a Boat Ride at Plaza de España
The 500 plus meter moat or canal is located within the Plaza de España and offers you another chance to relax and enjoy the Seville sunshine by renting a boat and taking it for a spin around the moat while taking in the beautiful views of the Plaza de España.
Movies Filmed at Plaza de España
Plaza de España is so stunningly exquisite that it has caught the eye of multiple Hollywood filmmakers. Over the years, many movies have been filmed on location such as Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and the Dictator, just to name a few.
There are many treasures of traveling throughout southern Spain to discover, like the city of Granada, but Plaza de España is truly one of the treasures of Andalusia and you definitely don’t want to miss an opportunity to see this plaza with your own eyes.
Check out the map below to see where the Plaza de España in Seville is located at!
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