Sevilla is located in the Southeast of Spain. A provincial capital, seat of the government and parliament of the Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía (Regional Government). It has more than 700,000 inhabitants, nearly half the population of the whole province.
The city of Sevilla is located on the plain of the Guadalquivir river which crosses the city from North to South. The river can be navigated from Sevilla all the way to its outlet near Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the Atlantic coast.
In the past the port of Sevilla played an important role in commerce between Spain and the Americas and remains today one of the most active river ports of the Iberian peninsula. The Tartessians were the original founders of Hispalis.
Next to this settlement, in 207 B.C., the Romans built Itálica. It was the centre of their Western Mediterranean dominions for seven centuries until the Roman empire was overrun by Northern barbarians at the beginning of the 10th century.
The long Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula, from 711 A.D. to 1248 A.D., left indelible traces in Sevilla as in all of Al-Andalus. La Giralda, the tower of an important mosque, is the most well-known of the remaining Islamic monuments. In 1492 Sevilla played an important role in the discovery and conquest of America. The 17th century was a period of artistic splendour in Sevilla. Painters such as Velázquez, Murillo and Valdés Leal, and sculptors like Martínez Montañés were born in Sevilla and left behind important works. The city also assumed an important role in world literature and was the birthplace of the myth of Don Juan. On two occasions in the 20th century Sevilla has been in the spotlight of the world's attention. In 1929, it hosted the Latin American Exhibition, which left important urban improvements in the city.
More recently, Expo 92 reinforced the image of Sevilla as a modern and dynamic city. Dont's miss out on the tapas. The city is credited with their invention and has more than a thousand bars where the choice of food, is virtually unlimited, from seafood to ham and sausage, from vegetable to cheese. The Sevillians actually make a meal of. them, moving from bar to bar and trying one dish at a time.
Sevilla is a great place to shop, with many small independent shops selling everything from souvenirs to shoes, jewellery, accessories and clothing. You will also find the El Corte Ingles department store, where you can buy everything from food to household electrical items to fashion and luxury jewellery items such as diamond eternity rings and engagement rings. Sevilla is also home to famous spanish designers Victorio & Lucchino, whose andalucian influenced designs are well worth a look at.
In Sevilla you can also find an FNAC store, which is spread over four floors and has a great selection of CD's, DVD's and computer games, plus accessories and music equipment.
On the outskirts of Sevilla you will also find an Ikea store, which is even cheaper than the UK!
