You will be welcomed to Seville by the Giralda and the Cathedral.

It’s one of the biggest in Europe and also one of the most beautiful. No matter where you look, there is history; its streets are full of dazzling buildings and each corner has different details to admire.

Losing yourself in it is to make a journey through different periods in time and to learn about the cultures that have come and gone from this place and who have left their mark on the architecture.

It’s the most well-known area of the city and also the most commercial and touristic. So on your way you’ll find bars, restaurants and historic local shops.

Monument Zone

Within the historic centre is the monument zone, the heart of Seville, comprised of the Alcazar, the Cathedral, and the Archives of the Americas, it was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. These monuments are located between the Virgen de los Reyes Square and Triunfo Square.

But as well as these, you find the Archbishop’s Palace founded in the 17^th century and the Convent of the Incarnation.

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Puerta Jerez and the Avenida de la Constitucion

These are the main vertebras of the historic centre, and now that the Puerta Jerez Square is the only place of the centre where there is a metro stop, it’s the perfect place to start walking through Seville. Its name, Jerez door, comes from the historical doorway in the city walls here, which went on to the city of Jerez.

The fountain in its centre is the Hispalis fountain, built as part of the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 and it is also where the Seville FC normally celebrates their victories.

In this setting we find the University of Seville (the former Tobacco Factory) in San Fernando Street; the famous Golden Tower, the Cristina gardens and the San Telmo’s Palace.  Going off from the square is the Avenida de la Constitution, which arrives to the City Hall and from here we can go further into the centre of Seville. This avenue is the widest street in the whole of the historic centre. For this reason the trams come through here and you can reach the monument zone. In fact the main facade of the Cathedral faces this street, although its entrance is facing Triunfo Square, in which you can also arrive to via the Avenida de la Constitucion.

One of the most photographed spots of Seville is the entrance of the avenue by Nueva Square, the Adriatica building, a beautiful regionalist work of art by the architect Jose Espiau. The great Coliseo Theatre, another magnificent example of the same style, is found a few metres from the entrance of Puerta Jerez, built by Jose and Aurelio Gomez Millan.

San Francisco Square

At the mouth of the avenue there is Seville’s historic square par excellence. Here the people held Autos de Fe -Acts of Faith-, bullfights and other popular festivities and it was filled with businesses. It is in front of the City Hall, and from it you can look at its plateresque decoration.

With the passing of the years its buildings have changed a great deal. One of the stand out buildings is the Bank of Spain, dating from the beginning of the 20^th Century.  In another part there is the Cajasol-La Caixa building which was the former courthouse, renovated in the 20^th century by Anibal Gonzalez.

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Nowadays, San Francisco Square is where celebrations such as Corpus Christi are held and it is the chosen place for the Christmas shows, which change every year. It’s also part of the official route of the processions of Holy week.

Also on the other side of the City Hall, opens the wide Neuva Square. On this site was located the convent of San Francisco, the biggest in the city, but it was destroyed by French troops in the 19^th Century. In the centre, there is the sculpture of San Fernando, the conqueror of Seville.

More squares

A very pleasant place to explore is the nucleus composed of Salvador Square, where there is the remarkable church of the same name, a perfect place to have a beer in the sun, Bread Square -officially called Jesus de La Pasion Square-, filled with traditional shops and also ideal for a break and the Alfalfa Square, a favourite of the Sevillians to eat in the fresh air of the terraces.

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Not to be forgotten, the traditional commercial streets like Francos or Alvarez Quintero, which are worth a look if you find yourself around these squares.

Commercial Zone

Within the historic centre there is, how not, the commercial zone, which mostly encompasses the streets of Sierpes (whose name has a legend), Tetuan, Cuna, O’Donell, Puente and Pellon or San Eloy. This doesn’t stop them from being historic streets, so don’t be surprised to find regionalist buildings or even a small chapel between Sierpes and Tetuan Streets.

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However, the commercial heart is found in Duque Square and Encarnacion Square, which you will always find filled with people. Here, there are various bus stops, which are perfect if you want to go to an area further away. In Duque Square there is the department store ‘El Corte Ingles’ and in Encarnacion Square, the celebrated (and controversial) Mushrooms of Seville, the Metropol Parasol. Although to ask a Sevillian about its construction is to open an interesting discussion, what is true is that from its view point you can see really beautiful views of the city and it’s ideal to go up at sunset.

Finally a bit more to the west is the Magdalena Church, with its impressive baroque architecture, built between the 17^th and 18^th centuries and found within a magnificent convent that was knocked down in the previous century due to its damaged state as it had been occupied during the French invasion.

This is without a doubt the most lively and most visited part of the centre by tourists and Sevillians alike, but within it there are more areas of great charm and history like Arenal, Santa Cruz and the Macarena.

Images sources: 7 – 24 (section 3)