Well here I go venturing out on my first excursion…and I call it an excursion because well, it will be an extended trip across Europe making stops all over the map.
My first destination is Spain. I’m going to throw my rather large backpack on and hightail my way across the Spanish countryside making stops in Madrid, Cordoba, Granada, and Seville. This will be a rather interesting trip since I will be traveling with 29 students, and I’m pretty sure I am the oldest one in the bunch. But by no means am I calling myself old…just older and a little wiser. So in preparation for my departure…which is in T – 3 days…I’ve been researching the sites so here is a little foreshadowing to the sites I will check out on my trip. Although I will be traveling through Madrid, Cordoba, and Granada…my main city of exploration will be Seville thus the little blurb on Seville’s highlights…I’ll neglect the little side note that this is an assignment for my trip :)
Seville is a culturally rich city in the Andalusia region of Spain. Made famous for its Moorish – Medieval architecture, tinto de verano, olives (I’m an oliveholic so no making fun when I talk about them later), Flamenco dancing, bullfights at Plaza de Toros, Alcazar, la Giralda, Christopher Columbus, the Alamitto Bridge, and Agua de Seville. The city has stood as a gateway for so many throughout history and its port is famous for the discovery of the Americas. As the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of Southern Spain, Seville remains a staple for Spain and a must see on any travelers destination list.
While walking down cobblestone streets, Seville greets its world travelers with Renaissance and Arabic influenced architecture sure to bring the shock and awe. As well everywhere you look an infamous sign, or acronym, is present “NO8DO”. As legend goes, because in Seville everything has a legend, King Alfonso X, son of King Fernando III, fended off an attempt by his own son Sancho IV to overthrow his reign as king. To praise all the Sevillanos who remained loyal to him and his reign as King he uttered these words “no me ha dejado”. When looking at the symbol NO8DO, NO and DO represent Spanish syllables. By the figure 8 actually represents a skein of yard, or in Spanish “madeja”. When you read this aloud it says “no madeja do”, which sounds like “No me ha dejado” meaning “It (Seville) has not abandoned me”.
Along with breath-taking architecture Seville will provide mouth watering food and wine. Tinto de vino is the imaginative combination of ginger ale and red wine, which may sound a little off putting to many, but to me, sounds like a party in my mouth. As well the wine is served accompanied by tapas, found at every mom and pop shop nestled in quaint spaces along Seville’s avenues. It is here that one must map out their plan of attack on the city and here is a pointer…must see: 1. La Giralda, 2. The Cathedral of Seville, and 3. The Royal Alcazar Palace.
La Giralda
This is the most famous symbol of Seville, “NO8DO’ follows as a close second. La Giralda is the bell tower found atop the Cathedral of Seville. Originally La Giralda was a minaret build by the Moors displayed atop their lovely Mosque, but after the Reconquista, Christians rebuilt the structure and it became the Cathedral of Seville. The main piece to be recycled into the new masterpiece was La Giralda, which stands at a whopping 320 feet in height. Two-thirds of La Giralda was built by the Almohad Dynasty, with the remaining one-third constructed by the Spanish. This refabrication came in 1365 after a devastating earthquake toppled the copper dome which previously sat atop La Giralda. In true Christian fashion the structure was rebuilt with new additions, a cross and bell to represent the buildings Christian values, and which still graces the top of La Giralda today. A little side note, if you can get close enough to see you will find “NO8DO” inscribed on La Giralda.
The Cathedral of Seville
La Giralda is found atop the Cathedral of Seville and to be honest you cannot miss both sites. The cathedral is the largest gothic cathedral around, and the third largest church in the world. It also happens to be one of the few churches on my “Must See” list. This amazing piece of work was built in the 16th Century, and is also known by the name of “Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede”. The Cathedral was built as a symbol of Sevillan wealth, to signify the growth of the city after the Reconquista. Again as legend has it at a town hall meeting these words were said to describe the architectural undertaking, “Let a church so beautiful and so great that those who see it built will think we were mad. A work such as good, which like no other”. And so we have the Cathedral of Seville in all its glory. Complete with the Sacristia Mayor dome (which had fallen twice due to earthquakes, but is still standing since its refabrication in 1903), the longest naïve around, and a plethora of Gothic styled retablo with carved scenes of Christ. The altar by the way is the life work of a single artist, Pierre Dancart. We must admit he is a holy man to construct such a master piece. FYI…you will find Christopher Columbus’ tomb inside the Cathedral of Seville along with 80 chapels.
The Royal Alcazar Palace
Lastly, you cannot miss the Royal Alcazar Palace…honestly, you just cannot miss it. Originally built by as a Moorish fort by the Almohodes, this magnum opus was called Al-Muwarak. Again, like La Giralda once the Spanish regained control of Seville after the Reconquista the Castellan royal family moved in and renamed the grand fort the Royal Alcazar Palace. Moorish influence is evident in the architecture but Gothic and Medieval aspects round out the design. Here are four sights inside the palace to keep one busy when snapping away on their camera. Patio de las Doncellas…another legend is present here. “The Courtyard of Maidens” is said to be named because the Moors demanded 100 virgins every year as a tribute from Christian kingdoms in Iberia. There is also Los Banos de Dona Maria de Padilla, which stands for “The Baths of Lady Maria de Padilla. This originally was rainwater tanks beneath the Patio del Crucero. As many sights in Seville are, this name too has a legend. The legend states that Peter the Cruel was in love with Maria de Padilla and to win her heart had her husband murdered. In return Maria burned her face with hot oil to disfigure it and halt Peter’s advances. She later became a nun and is regarded as a symbol of purity in Sevillan society. There is also La Casa de Contractacion, “House of Trade”, which was established to manage trade with the Spanish Americas. Think of this as an ancient form of Wall Street. Lastly, there is El Patio de las Munecas. Here is where real travelers test their wits…another legend by the way. In Islamic tradition representations of people and animals was forbidden in works of art such as the Al-Muwarak. But one face was hidden in El Patio de laas Munecas, and only those with the sharpest eyes can find it. Although there is plenty other faces and human representation throughout the Royal Alcazar Palace, those pieces were built by Spaniards after the Reconquista. I will be taking up this challenge and hope to post a picture of that hidden face.
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