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Seville | River Guadalquivir

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The old city of Seville lies nestled in a bend on the east bank of the River Guadalquivir (the name derives from the Arabic, and means big valley or big water) in a wide valley about 80 km from the sea. It’s Spain’s only river port, with a history that goes back to the Phoenicians. The river is the fifth longest in the Iberian peninsula (567 km) and flows from east to west across most of Andalucia. From Córdoba down to the sea the valley is Spain’s most important agricultural region, but it’s also prone to flooding, usually when heavy spring rains coincide with winter snow melt in the mountains where the river rises.

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The Moorish Dock in Triana

Nowadays the river and riverside are one of Seville’s major tourist and leisure resources, with everything from river cruises (for the tourists) to sailing, rowing and windsurfing for the locals. On the Seville side it’s now possible to walk beside the river all the way from the Puerto de las Delicias (where cruise ships coming to Seville are berthed) to the Columbus statue in San Jeronimo at the northern edge of the city. Most of this walkway owes its existence to the 1992 world exposition on the Cartuja (celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus discovering America), though the final section, the New York Wharf, only opened a couple of years ago.

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Torre del Oro

Before that, however, use of the riverside was almost entirely commercial, and long stretches were not accessible to the public. The first port of Seville, that of the Phoenicians and then Romans, was actually located on the now vanished secondary branch of the river that ran through the Alameda, alongside Calle Sierpes and the Avenida de la Constitución, as attested by pilings for wharves found near Sierpes and in Plaza San Francisco. The Moors built the distinctive stone dock on Calle Betis on the Triana side, the Torre del Oro, and the first bridge across the river, the “bridge of boats” which was only finally replaced by the Isabella II (Triana) bridge in the mid 19th century. In the 15th and 16th centuries, when Seville had the monopoly of the trade with the New World, the stretch of river on either side of the Torre del Oro was the most important port in Europe, until the river silted up and the trade moved to Cadiz. The 20th century saw major changes, with a totally new port constructed in an artificial “short cut” waterway below Las Delicias, and a new channel for the river’s main flow on the far side of Triana that finally ended the problem of flooding in the city.

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View from the Seville Eye with the Aquarium in the Foreground

Start your exploration of the river by taking a ride on the new Seville Eye, the panoramic ferris wheel that gives a view up and down the river and across the Maria Luisa Park. The bridge between this and the port is a bascule bridge – it opens to allow cruise ships and sailing boats to pass through. Next door pay a visit to the aquarium, another recent addition to Seville’s list of attractions. Plenty of places nearby for refreshments, but look out especially for Seville’s only foodtruck La Cayejera. Then head back towards the city centre. Pay a visit to the naval museum in the Torre del Oro, then go on to the Isabella II bridge. See if you can spot our “Betis Blue” apartments across the river. On the Seville side you can stop for a drink or a snack in the Mercado Lonja del Barranco, a modern food court in the 19th century cast iron fish market building. Alternatively, cross the bridge to the main Triana market and the ruins of San Jorge Castle (former headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition).

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View of Triana Bridge from the Torre del Oro

Beyond the Triana bridge you can find the only grassy bank beside the river in Seville; if the weather’s right it will be full of Sevillanos taking the sun, eating, drinking and socialising. Go further and you’re on the long walkway beyond the touristy areas that’s the territory of runners, cyclists and dog-walkers. Less to see here, although some of the buildings left over from the ’92 expo are weirdly interesting, and in the summer season there’s always the screams from the people enjoying the Isla Magica theme park floating across the water. For those who are interested in such things you’ll also come eventually to the two modernist bridges, La Barqueta and the Amarillo.

Seville | Triana Ceramics Museum

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ceramics museum (1)award-winning interior design by AF6 Arquitectos

The Triana district of Seville has long been famous, among other reasons, as an important pottery and ceramics producing area (the Plaza España was designed partly as a showcase for Triana ceramics). However, although you can still find pottery shops, and even a few small scale workshops, in the Alfarería (a place where pottery is made or sold) neighbourhood behind the market, the industry is sadly not what it once was, and it’s perhaps a sign of the times that one of its most famous landmarks has recently opened as a museum.

The Ceramica Santa Ana, on the corner of San Jorge and Callao streets, has one of the most famous frontages in Seville (decoration and signage in ceramic tile, of course), and still functions as a shop and showroom, and the Centro Ceramica de Triana (the museum) can be found in the building next door, which used to be the Santa Ana pottery factory. It’s not much to look at from outside, but as soon as you walk past the reception area you realise that this is because everything faces inwards into the main courtyard – the principal production area of the factory. The exhibition areas are in the buildings overlooking the courtyard, which have a facing of randomly sized pottery tubes called a celosia, which provides shade for the interiors while still allowing light to enter. The installations, designed by Miguel Hernández Valencia and Esther López Martin of architects AF6, are a blend of traditional and modern, partly inspired by the objects that were left lying around when the factory closed.

ceramics museum (6)mural made from baked clay pieces found in the factory

Not surprisingly, given the availability of suitable clays in the immediate vicinity, the history of pottery making here goes back a long way, at least as far as the Romans. Indeed, two of Seville’s patron Saints, Justa and Rufina, martyred here in the 3rd century, are traditionally said to have been potters. Under the Moors new techniques were introduced, and the craft of making decorated tiles in particular reached its peak. Later Italian and Flemish styles flourished, but there was a gradual decline until the 19th century, when an English potter and trader named Charles Pickman opened a modern factory in the Cartuja. Other entrepreneurs followed suite, and the revived industry reached a new peak in the early 20th century. Failure to modernise, however, led to another decline and many of the local manufacturers went out of business in the 1960s and 1970s.

ceramics museum (2)restored 18th century hand-painted tile panel

The core of the new museum is still the old kilns, which are of various ages stretching back to at least the 16th century, the ponds for storing the wet clay, and mills and basins for pigments. Upstairs there is a temporary exhibition about the restoration work carried out by the museum, and two permanent exhibitions, one detailing the history of local pottery making and techniques, with collections of locally made pieces, and the other about the neighbourhood of Triana, its traditions, and its fierce sense of local pride. These make it an excellent area to rent an apartment and experience the real character of a local neighbourhood. Below you can watch a video showing the restauration of the museum.

Seville | The View from Triana Bridge

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Every city has its impressive and/or beautiful monuments, the things that residents boast about, and visitors come to see, but often it’s the less spectacular sights and sounds that capture the heart and make a place feel like home.

0131_betis-blue-1-01view from our Betis Blue apartment

The Isabella II (Triana) Bridge in Seville is definitely one of those places. It connects the old city of Seville proper with the neighbourhood of Triana on the other side of the River Guadalquivir. Triana, whose origins go back to Roman times (it is thought to be named for the Roman Emperor Trajan, who was born nearby), has always been a neighbourhood outside the city walls (an arrabal in Spanish), a marginal community that was something of a refuge for “outsiders” such as the gypsies. It also sat astride the main road westward to the Aljarafe and the coast, which is why the Muslims built a castle on the site of what is now the Triana market, followed in 1171 by the famous “bridge of boats” that was the only crossing of the river until it was finally superseded by the Isabella II bridge in the mid 19th century. The castle, meanwhile, became first the headquarters of the Order of St George, giving it its modern name of Castillo de San Jorge, and then from 1481 to 1785 of the Spanish Inquisition. By about 1800 the castle was demolished, and became the site of the Triana market.

lovers locks-001lover’s locks on the Isabel bridge

With their working class and immigrant roots Trianeros have always regarded themselves a breed apart. Many of those who sailed on the voyages of discovery and trade to the New World came from there, as did many famous flamenco artistes and bullfighters, for whom this was the way out of the ghetto. During Semana Santa (Holy Week) the processions of El Cachorro, La O, La Esperenza, and La Estrella are among the most fervently followed in all Seville, and the annual July fair of Santa Ana, Seville’s second largest, has been held since the 13th century.

0131_betis-blue-1-apartment-14view of Triana from the Seville side of the river

The bridge itself, with its arches and iron rings, is highly distinctive, and if you’re walking across it you may notice that the railings are often festooned with padlocks, sometimes bearing the names of those who have chosen this way of “plighting their troth”. At the Triana end the Carmen chapel and the roof of the Triana market above Saint George’s castle are also instantly recognisable. It’s certainly worth taking the time to pause midway across the bridge and looking down the river at some of Seville’s other landmarks. On the left are the wharves of the old river port, once one of the busiest and most important in Europe, where the sailing ships moored to load and unload the riches of the Americas. Beyond are the Torre del Oro and the towers of the Plaza España, and on the right the unusual shape of the old Moorish dock.

Our Betis Blue apartments on the Triana river front are the perfect place to be a part of this special atmosphere.

Seville | Day Trip to Triana

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The neighbourhood, or barrio, of Triana lies across the River Guadalquivir from the city of Seville, and is often regarded, especially by the people who live there, as a separate city, quite distinct and different from its big sister Seville, and so if you have the time it’s worthwhile spending a day “across the river” soaking up some of its special atmosphere.

0131_betis-blue-1-01view of the Isabel (Triana) bridge from our Betis Blue apartment

The name is thought to derive from the Roman emperor, Trajano (pronounced Trahano in Spanish), who was born in Italica, the Roman city a little to the west of Seville. While it’s not known exactly how long there has been a settlement here, it’s certainly the oldest of the barrios outside the old city walls, dating back to at least Moorish times. It was in the late Moorish times that the first bridge across the river, the famous bridge of boats, was built (where the Isabella II bridge – usually referred to as Triana bridge – is now), with the original Castillo San Jorge, Saint George’s Castle, at its western end. It was then known as the Gypsy quarter, the Gypsies, or Gitanos, having arrived there sometime in the 15th century. As a poor neighbourhood it supplied many of the sailors who explored the New World, and was intimately connected with the worlds of flamenco and bullfighting, which offered a way out of what was effectively a ghetto.

manu jara dulceria (1)Manu Jara’s “dulcería”

Start your day out with churros and chocolate at the Seville end of the bridge, or some tasty pastries at Manu Jara in Calle Pureza (opens 10am, closed Mondays). Once properly fortified, it’s time to pay a visit to Triana market. Although this was substantially renovated some ten years ago, it still retains much of its traditional charm, with decorative tiled stall fronts (though the names now often don’t correspond to the business of particular stalls), and the colourful displays of fresh fruit, fish and other produce for which Spanish markets are justly famous. I rarely come to Triana without coming here, just for the enjoyment of strolling around until it’s beer o’clock and time for a little refreshment at one of the many market bars.

triana chapelThe market is built over the ruins of Saint George’s Castle, once the headquarters of the infamous Spanish Inquisition, and now a museum of tolerance. Emphasis here is on reflection of man’s inhumanity to man, so you won’t see any instruments of torture or other sensationalist displays, but rather an invitation to reflection on the cost of intolerance. Entrance is free, and for me it’s an interesting window on the past. Outside, stop and admire a different aspect of the religious impulse, the chapel of the Virgin of the Carmen designed by Anibál González.

Behind the market is what’s left of the old ceramics district. Although only a shadow of its former self, there are still some craft workshops and you can pick up a nice decorative piece or two as souvenirs. It’s also worth visiting the newly opened ceramics museum (in Calle Antillano Campos, next door to the famous Santa Ana ceramics shop), which I found fascinating, with examples of the old kilns and the equipment that was used, and something of the history of the industry.

castillo san jorge (2)Saint George’s Castle seen from the Isabel bridge

For lunch, walk up the main street of San Jacinto to Las Golondrinas (Pages del Corro, 76), or if you’re feeling adventurous check out Puratasca (Numancia, 5 – almost impossible to find) for innovative tapas in a wonderfully kitsch 70’s ambiance. For something more traditional try Sol y Sombra (Castilla 151) and their famous “solomillo al ajo”, with almost as many slow-cooked garlic cloves as pieces of pork tenderloin.

ceramics trianaceramics shop in Triana

In the evening the place to be is Calle Betis, the street that runs along the bank of the river opposite the bullring and Torre del Oro. It’s one of the best nightlife spots in Seville, with lots of bars and restaurants with terraces looking across to the old city where you can enjoy a beer or a glass of wine and some traditional seafood as the street gradually comes alive around you. My own favourite place is the Primera del Puente (Betis 66), which serves some of the best fish and seafood around. Tapas at the bar, or raciones on the riverside terrace, the quality is always excellent. Finish the evening at Lo Nuestro, a popular flamenco bar on Calle Betis, or at La Anselma on Pages del Corro.

0131_betis-blue-1-apartment-14view of Betis street from the “other side” of the river, Seville

Of course you could live like a local in one of our excellent holiday apartments in Triana, and take day trips across the bridge to Seville. Take a stroll with us through Triana on our short video.

Seville | Tiles and Ceramics of Seville

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When you think of Seville, what things do you think of as being the most typical or emblematic of the city? The Giralda Tower and Cathedral? Bullfighting? Flamenco? Blue skies and orange trees? Well, all those and more, probably, but there is something else that you will see almost everywhere here, from the most humble places to the grandest, and which add another dimension to the visual richness of the city.

detail at Plaza de España

detail at Plaza de España

I’m talking about azulejos, the painted and glazed tiles that seem to decorate almost every surface, from the undersides of the balconies (always look up!) to the grand expanse of the Plaza España. The centre of the ceramics industry has always been in the neighbourhood of Triana, in the area behind the market. Pottery has been made there using local clay from the river at least since Roman times, and Seville’s patron saints, Justina and Rufina were potters, their status perhaps reflecting the importance of the industry. But it was in Moorish times that the arts of painting and glazing the tiles really got going. Prohibited from depicting living things, it was they who created the abstract geometric designs that are still common today.

Tiles are also prominent in church shrines, and in signs and advertising in markets and shops, but although you can find tile work everywhere, from apartment lobbies to bars and around doors and windows, some of the finest examples in public spaces and monuments. The walls of the Alcázar are profusely decorated with tiles from the early Christian era that were still made using the techniques developed by the Moors. Even more spectacular are the tiles of the Plaza España, which showcase the designs and techniques of the early 20th century ceramics industry, particularly in the alcoves that depict historic moments from each of Spain’s provinces.

ceramics trianaceramics shop in Triana

Although you can still find little ceramics shops in Triana, and a few artisans working using the traditional methods – though the old wood-fired brick kilns have been replaced by electric kilns – the industry has declined, and ceramics are no longer produced here on a large commercial scale.

Nevertheless, this part of Triana, where the entrance to the old Ceramica Santa Ana is an important landmark, is still worth a visit. The market gives a good idea of how tiles were used for signs, and in the remaining small workshops you can find some pretty pieces that are great for souvenirs.

In commemoration of this history, a new museum, the Centro Ceramico, is soon to be opened next door to the Santa Ana, where you will be able to see some of the old kilns, and collections of both traditional and modern tiles.