Alquiler de apartamentos en Sevilla

Situation, climate and history of Seville

Situation

Seville, just 6 meters above sea level on the banks of the Guadalquivir river, is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the heart of the Autonomous Region of Andalusia.

As capital of Andalusia, it is the fourth largest city in Spain with a population of 704.114 inhabitants within the metropolitan area. Seville is considered without doubt, the artistic, cultural, financial, economic and social center of southern Spain.

Climate

Seville has a Mediterranean climate, with average temperatures of 26º C in the summer and 12 º C in the winter, experiencing mild winds during spring and summer. Winters are also mild. It rains only slightly during the autumn (average annual rainfall: 534 mm). Highest temperatures are experienced during the summer. With close to 3000 hours of sunlight annually, Seville’s climate can be considered almost as perfect in all seasons.

History

Numerous and varied cultures have been present in Seville’s history. The city’s cultural, monumental and artistic legacy gained over the centuries can be admired in it’s streets and museums. Seville’s dark origins have provided legends such as the one that attributes Hercules as it’s founder.

In order to appreciate the ancient history of Seville, one must visit the Museo Arqueológico (Archaeological Museum), a spectacular site in itself; once a Pavilion of the 1929 Exhibition. Here one can observe the remains of cultures that traveled from across the Mediterranean, bringing with them their distant gods. The Tesoro del Carambolo is a clear example of oriental influences assimilated by the ancient peoples of Seville.

Antiquity

Neighboring Seville (Alcalá del Río) was the scene of the final battle between Romans and Carthinigans (206 A.C.. It was also the location of the first Roman colony in the region, Itálica. Known as the city of Julia Romula Hispalis, it was named after its founder, Julius Caeser (45 A.C.). He converted Sevillians into Roman citizens with full rights.

Middle ages

The figures depicted on the city’s shield of San Leandro and San Isidro (Saints), are accompanied on both sides by the conquering king from the Visigoth period, an era shadowed by the splendor of Islamic Seville, a period which followed immediately afterwards (712).

It was during the Almohade stage era (mid 12th C) when Isbiliya reached its greatest SPLENDOR. The Mesquita Mayor (mosque) was constructed. Its minaret became the symbol of the city. Renaissance touches crowned the building’s tower and soon would become known as the Giralda.

The city was occupied by the Crown of Castile, conquered by King Santo Fernando III in 1248. Mosques were converted into Christian worship places. Even the Great Mosque (Gran Mesquita) fell under the same luck. A century and a half later considering the site’s ruinous state, the ecclesiastic council decided to tear it down and in its place erect the Catedral (Cathedral), the indisputable symbol of Christian Seville. During the medieval period King Don Pedro built the Palacio Mudéjar (14th C) on the grounds of the ancient walled Islamic Alcázar.

Modern Ages

After the discovery of America, 16th C Seville became the Puerto de las Indias, monopolizing trade with the New Continent. The Casade la Contratación was set up in the Alcázar and local merchants built the Casa Lonja which centuries later was converted into the Archivo de Indias. Many palace-homes were constructed during this period, such as the emblematic Hospital de las Cinco Llagas, today the seat of the Andalusian Parliament.

The 17th C brought in illustrious and universal artists, though a significantly progressive transfer of economic activity from the Americas to the city of Cádiz soon began to occur. The Hermandades de Pasión (Holy Week Brotherhoods) which has traditionally paraded without any order were soon organized under the Carrera Oficial (Official Route) body. The float’s itinerary was coordinated according to seniority; Semana Santa (Holy Week) was becoming formalized and its profound religiousness was represented in works of artists such as, Montañés, Murillo, Zurbarán and Valdés Leal.. Important religious structures are built during this period

The 18th C brought the construction of the world famous Fabrica de Tabacos (Tobacco Factory), an industrial building and scene of Carmen la Cigarrera. Another setting from this same opera, the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza (Bullring) was also started, yet was not completed until the end of the following century.

Contemporary period

Seville became known as an exotic destination for pioneers of the 19th C Romanticism movement. Some of these artists were excellent designers whose influence on the city remained intact up until contemporary renovations and the opening up of roads in and around Seville took place. This was a response to outward growth which brought down their walls. Two of Seville’s finest examples of Arquitectura del Hierro (Ironwork Architecture) can be found in the Puente de Triana (bridge), inspired by the Carrousel of Paris, the other being the Naves del Barranco.

The 20th C started off with the preparations and promises of a World’s Fair – Exhibition. This event was postponed for various reasons until it finally opened in 1929. This Latin American Expo left us the Plaza de España, the Plaza de América, and various country Pavilions representing different architectural styles and native pre-Colombian cultures. The century closed with yet another Exhibition, the ’92 Expo, which commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Discovery of America. From an urban point of view this event marked not only the incorporation of the Isla de la Cartuja (Island), but also the elimination of two old railroad stations which had become traffic obstacles within the city. The new station of Santa Justa, home of the High Speed Train (AVE) as well as major beltways were constructed for the opening of this fair.

The headquarters of the “Expo” has been converted into a techo-park (Parque Tecnológico). Many important companies also have their main offices on this site.A few years have passed since that magnificent event and the history of Seville continues; the city is still growing.

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Getting to the city

Seville, considered one of the great European cities with regards to an urban setting that blends with surrounding rural communities, is today one of the best communicated cities in Spain. Endowed and strategically situated, Seville is the last great metropolis of Southern Europe.

Airport (San Pablo Airport)

Located: at 12 km from Seville
Telephone: 954.449.000
Fax: 954.449.025

The new San Pablo International Airport, built by internationally acclaimed architect, Rafael Moneo, is located just 10 km from the city center. It was designed to receive some 8 millions travelers per year and offers regular flights to all major European and Spanish capital cities.

Flight destinations
Direct foreign destinations from Seville: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Brussels, Cologne.
Direct national destinations from Seville: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife Norte, Valencia, Santiago de Compostela, Alicante.

Train Station

Santa Justa Train Station
Address: avda. Kansas City s/n
Telephone: 902.240.202
Web: www.renfe.es
Timetables and prices: http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.phpl

The Santa Justa Train Station, built by Seville architects, Cruz & Ortiz, have received various European awards. This station serves as an important hub for connections between the Andalusian capital and all of the Autonomous Regions of Spain and Europe. Major train lines from Madrid, Malaga and Granada converge here. The AVE, (high speed train) provides service to Madrid in just two and a half hours. A trip to Cordoba takes only 40 minutes.

Bus Station

Plaza de Armas station.
There are two bus stations in Seville.
Plaza de Armas station.
Avda. Cristo de la Expiración s/n. 41001.
Tel: 954.908.040 / 954.907.737
Plaza de Armas station connects with Rest of Spain and the Province of Huelva.

Bus station companies
Main destinations: Madrid, Southern Portugal, Lisboa, Huelva, Huelva coast, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Mérida, towns within the province of Seville, Asturias, Galicia, northern Spain, foreign countries.

Prado de San Sebastián Station
Prado de San Sebastián s/n. 41005.
Tel: 954.417.111. Fax: 954.417.118
Provides bus services to Andalusia.

Bus station companies
Main destinations: towns within the province of Seville: (Utrera, Morón, Estepa, Carmona, Alcalá de Guadaira, Écija), Córdoba, Granada, Cádiz, Jaén, Málaga, Almería, Jerez de la Frontera, Algeciras, Ronda, Marbella, etc.

By Car Higthways

Renovated highway and access roads and rapid beltways provide precise connections to all neuralgic points of the city and its surroundings. Seville has now become one of Spain’s best connected cities by road, with highways connecting all Andalusian capitals as well as Madrid and Portugal.
A-4 to the Airport, Córdoba (138 km.), Madrid (538 km.)
A-66 to Mérida, Badajoz (217 km.), Cáceres (264 km.)
A-92 / N-334 to Málaga (219 km.)
A-4 / AP-4 to Cádiz (125 km.)
A-49 to Huelva (94 km.)

Port

Address: avda. de Moliní nº6
Telephone: 954.247.300
Website: www.apsevilla.com

Characterized by varied and efficient accessibility, Seville has not only become a tourist destination, but also the best equipped port in all of Andalusia. The Guadalquivir River hosts a first class port, the only interior port in Spain. It supports intense traffic from tourist cruises as well as regular commercial shipping lines.

As in the case of many other large cities, Seville’s origins surge from its magnificent location along a great river, the Guadalquivir. This location is the crossing of natural communication routes which connect the interior of Andalusia with the coastal plains and outlets to the ocean. From the left bank water is received from the Genil, Gorbones and Guadiana Rivers, while the Hueznar, Viar, Cala and Guadiamar Rivers from the province of Huelva flow into the banks on the right side.
The Guadalquivir River has always been the true motor of Seville. The primitive Tartessos River, which the Romans called Betis and the Arabs, Wadi al-Kabir (“big river”; original name of the Guadalquivir) begins to flow in the Sierra de Cazorla at 1600 meters and stretches over 590 km through Andalusia to the Atlantic coast. The Guadalquivir has the only river port in all of Spain, located some 80 km from the Atlantic coast and is very close to the Mediterranean Sea. The surface area of the river is three million square meters.

Others

Telecommunication infrastructures within the metropolitan area of Seville have witnessed spectacular advances, as shown by certain installations within the city: the Satelite Communication Center in Carmona, the Digital Network of Integrated Systems of Spain (Cartuja), the Cellular Phone Base Station, the Videoconference Control Center and the Center of International Communications of Pineda, which features four operating units.

texts extracted from www.sevilla.org, the official website of the city

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Getting around Seville

Bus

Seville offers a wide network of city buses, property of the municipal company, TUSSAM. Search their website for complete information, fares, tickets, etc. One or three day tourist cards can be purchased which permit as many trips as desired during the determined validity of the pass.
General informationl: 900.710.171
Web site: www.tussam.es

Taxi

The city’s taxi service is plentiful Tele-taxi. Tel: 954.622.222
Radio-taxi. Tel: 954.480.000

Metro

Website: www.metrodesevilla.net
The Seville Metro system (Line 1) shall be a reality as of 2006.

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Practical information

Business hours

Meal schedules tend to be a bit later than the rest of Europe: breakfast is taken between 7.30 to 10am. Lunch at restaurants is served from 2 to 3.30pm and dinner starts around 9pm until 11pm.

Business hours in the morning are from 10am until 1.30pm and in the afternoon from 4.30pm – 8pm. During the summer months, shops and businesses open a bit later in the afternoon, at around 5.30 or 6pm until 9pm. Department stores operate from 10am until 9pm.without a break.

Postal service

Central Office
Avda. de la Constitución, 2
Tel: 954224760
The Central Post Office schedule is from 8.30am until 8.30pm, Monday thru Friday. Stamps can be purchased in any estanco (government licensed tobacconist kiosk

Electrical adaptors

The current in Spain is 220 – 240 V AC. U.S. electrical appliances require a transformer and adapter, which can be purchased at any electrical or hardware store (ferreterías).

Useful phone numbers

San Pablo Airport: Tel.954449000
City may: Tel:954590101
Banks and money exchange:Change Express (Western Union) Tel: 900633633
Post Office (& Telegraphs): Tel: 902197197
Bank of Spain: Tel: 954227846
Regional Government of Seville: Tel: 954550000
Bus station: Plaza de Armas: Tel: 954908040
Bus station: Prado de San Sebastián: Tel: 954417111
Train station: Santa Justa: Tel: 902240202 (Information and reservations)

Public Hospitals: Hospital

Universitario Virgen Macarena. Tel: 955008000
Hospital Virgen del Rocío. Tel: 955012000
Hospital Virgen de Valme. Tel: 955015000

Iberia Airlines: Tel: 954988208.
Information: 902400500
Consumer information : Tel: 954530625

Association of Consumers and Users of Seville. C/ Resolana, 8. Tel: 954376112
Municipal Office of Consumer Information: Tel: 954231822
National Police: Tel: 954289300

Turism offices

Tourism offices in Seville offer free city-maps and a lot of brochures about monuments, museums, sightseeing tours, cultural activities and places to stay.

Tourim Offices run by the City Administration of Seville:
Naves del Barranco.
c/ Arjona, 28
41001 Sevilla
Tel: + 34 954 22 17 14 / 902 194 897. Fax: +34 954 22 95 66
Sitio web: www.turismo.sevilla.org
Correo electrónico: barranco.turismo@sevilla.org

Costurero de la Reina
Paseo de las Delicias, 9
41013 Sevilla
Tel: +34 954 23 44 65. Fax: +34 954 22 95 66
Sitio web: www.turismo.sevilla.org
Correo electrónico: barranco.turismo@sevilla.org

Tourism Offices run by the Government of Andalusia:
Avda. de la Constitución, 21 B
41001 Sevilla
Tel: +34 954 221 404 / 954 21 81 57. Fax: +34 954 22 97 53
Sitio web: www.andalucia.org
Correo electrónico: otsevilla@andalucia.org

Aeropuerto de San Pablo
Autopista San Pablo s/n
41007 Sevilla
Tel: +34 954 44 91 28. Fax: +34 954 44 9129
Sitio web: www.andalucia.org
Correo electrónico: otaesevilla@andalucia.org

Estación de Santa Justa
Avda. Kansas City s/n
Tel: +34 954 53 76 26. Fax: +34 954 53 76 26
Sitio web: www.andalucia.org
Correo electrónico: otjusta@andalucia.org

Money

Money exchange: you can exchange cash at a bank. Remember to take into consideration exchange rate and commission.
Credit Cards: Major credit cards are widely accepted . Commissions range between 2-4%.

Banking hours: most banks are open Monday thru Friday from 8.30am til 2 or 2.30pm. Only a few branches are open Saturday mornings. ATM machines are located throughout the city offering 24 hour service, most of which provide international service (Servired, 4B, etc.).

Communications

Telephone
Telephone Country Code of Spain: 0034
Mobile telephone numbers: begin by 6.
Public Telephones: you’ll find easily a lot of street pay phones and that you can use for international and domestic calls. The phones accept coins and/or telephone cards.

Mobile Phones: GSM 900/1800 is used in Spain, by the which mobile phones are compatible with the rest of Europe, but not with North America and Japan. You can buy a mobile phone with debit card from aproximtely . Also you can bring your own mobile phone with you and just buy a Spanish SIM card (remember that the mobile must be unlocked) for about 35 € with 25 € included in calls.

Mobile phone companies in Spain:
Movistar http://www.movistar.es
Vodafone http://www.vodafone.es
Amena http://www.amena.com

Consulares

Sevilla Cards
Website: www.sevillacard.es
When you visit Seville, do not forget to buy the Sevilla Card for tourist. It will help you to discover the city and enjoy your stay saving money as well. You will be able to benefit from:

Free adimission to most museums and monuments in the city.
Unlimited use of public transportation.
Unlimited use of sightseeing buses.
Boat rides on the Guadalquivir river.
Isla Mágica them park.

Besides you will be able to enjoy considerable discounts in shops, restaurants, shows and leisure centres.

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