Seville pt. 6 Cathedral y Plaza de Pilatas

Seville Cathedral is a world heritage site and like the Mesquita in Cordoba was built over an existing mosque. The cathedral covers 11,520 square metres in floor space and the nave rises to 42 metres high. The cathedral houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus since he was moved back to Spain from Cuba.

Casa de Pilatas is a private palace that local legend says is built to the dimensions of Pontius Pilate's house in Jerusalem. The House is built in the Mudejar style and has fantastic courtyards gardens full of my favourite Brugmancias.

Seville pt. 5 Contemporary arts and Roman Italica

The Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporano built in the old Cartuja de Santa Maria de las Cuevas Monastery. This place was a monastery, then bought buy an englishman and turned into a ceramics factory and then became the Contemporary Arts museum.








Massive Ombu, an evergreen herb in the entrance of the museum. In latin Phytolacca dioica, a fire and animal resistant plant from Argentina. They may reach 30 metres diameter at the trunk, this one is close.


We day tripped to the roman town of Italica. The home of emporers Trajan and Hadrian this town is complete with a 25,000 seat amphitheatre, public and private buildings.

Seville pt. 4 Cordoba y Carmona

The last synagogue left standing in all Andalucia is in Cordoba, built in 1350 it has survived the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.

Above is an ancient Jewish residence, kept as a museum in Cordoba. Apparently Jews had lived in Cordoba since the 11th century BC and under Muslim rule the Jews had total religious freedom and prospered economically and intellectually, Maimonide a revolutionary philosopher and author of the 'Misneh Torah' lived in Cordoba before fleeing conversion or death by the Christians.

The Romans built a pagan temple in Cordoba, then the Visigoths replaced it with the Christian church of Saint Vincent. The Arabs then conquered in the 8th century and started work on the giant mosque. It took 200 years and was completed by king Abd ar-Rahman III in the 10th century. In 1236 Cordoba was recaptured by the Christian king Alfonso X and over time since this last reconquest a massive gothic cathedral has grown up in the centre of the mosque.









We visited the village of Carmona on our way back from Cordoba. We went to the viewing point that looks out over the countryside as mentioned in the rough guide.

Seville pt. 3 PLaza del Toros y Plaza Espana

This is the outside view of the famous Seville bullring where Carmen was killed

These two views inside the bullring were taken while we did the tour. The Puerto del Principe or The Princes Gate above is the exit that the bullfighter may leave from only when he is presented with 3 ears from his 2 bulls of the day. This honour is presented for the manner in which he has dispatched his bulls. The ring accomodates 14,000 spectators.



Plaza de Espana where Star Wars 2 Attack of the Clones was filmed as the location for planet Naboo. The Plaza was originally made to host the 1929 Spanish-American technology and industry exhibition.

Seville pt. 2 The Real Alcazar

Inside the gates of the Real Alcazar in Seville, these 2 amazing pink trees are Ceiba speciosa or the Silk Floss tree. This tree originates from South America and huge examples are dotted around the Alcazar

The Patio del Yeso


The palace facade overlooking the Patio de la Monteria

The view skywards in the Patio de las Munecas

Doors onto the gardens and the tiles floor of the Dormatorio de los Reyes Moros



View of the gardens of the Real Alcazar and below are some Brugmancia flowers we found in the courtyards below.

Seville pt. 1

View from the bar in the square along S. Juan de la Palma, directly opposite Roger and Vibeke's appartment in the Macarena barrio on the north side of the city.



This photo is the reward I got for looking up while walking around the centre of Seville. This is the balcony above a shop named London City.



One of the many hibiscus plants I found which line the borders in the Jardines de Catalina de Ribera.









These photos taken in the Jardines de Murillo, this park is full of small fountains and tiled walls with benches. In the park were many of these massive trees (Im working on the species) and it is the old city walls with various surviving towers from the 12th century that surround the park.