The history of Seville

Renaissance Seville
1492 is an important year in the history of Spain; it marked not only the final expulsion of the Moors and the unification of Spain under a single crown, but also the discovery of America. Moreover, it is a date which roughly coincides with the end of the Middle Ages. In Seville, 1492 marked the beginning of two centuries during which the city would become gateway to the New World. Seville became a melting pot for European and American cultures . For those setting out for the New World, the image of Seville would remain indelibly fixed in their mind's eye as the last sight of a city of the Old World. The boom generated by trade with the Americas transformed Seville into the mecca of European commerce. The most diverse professions, such as actors, bankers, famed artists and navigators of reknown, missionaries whose only desire was to convert and save souls and unscrupulous adventurers, all converged on the city. In these two golden centuries Seville became Spain´s principal city and and one of the ten largest European cities.

Christopher Columbus, Admiral of the Oceanic Seas (the Atlantic) visited Seville in 1492, 1493 and 1501. Centuries later, in 1899 his remains were brought to Seville from Havanna and now lie in the Mausoleum by Arturo Melida in the transept of the Cathedral. Hernando Columbus, son of the great navigator, bequeathed his collection of thousands illuminated and incunabular manuscripts and codices to the Cathedral. These documents form the bulk of the Columbus Library housed within the Cathedral.

In 1503, la Casa de la Contratación, the governing body of all commercial, scientific and legal aspects of trade with the Americas was formed in the Alcázares. The only architectural relic of this administrative body is El Cuarto del Navegante, or Navigators´Chamber. Presided by the painting "La Virgen de los navegantes" attributed to the school of Alejo Fernández circa 1535. This splendid painting is a polyptych in five leaves not only of artistic, but also iconographical and historical interest as it features in the central part the Virgin and includes portraits of many of those involved in American trade and discovery as well as faithfully reproducing examples of contemporary naval architecture.

In 1505, Maese Rodrigo Fernández de Santaella recieved a papal bull from Julius II to found El Colegio de Santa María de Jesús, the seed of the future Seville University. This college was situated near the modern Puerta de Jerez. Only two architectural elements remain: the late Gothic portal which since 1920 has formed part of the entrance to the Convent of Santa Clara and the small, intensely Mudéjar chapel.

In 1518 Fadrique Henríquez de Ribera, the first Marquis of Tarifa started on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, a three-year journey which would have profound consequences for Seville. In Jerusalem, Fadrique took part in the procession of the Stations of the Cross, a procession which he would transplant to Seville on his return. The first Station was placed in the Marquis' own palace due to which it soon became known as "Casa de Pilatos"- Pilate's House. The last Station was fixed as the Gothic-Mudéjar Calvary outside the city walls and known as La Cruz del Campo (Cross in the Fields). The total distance of the Stations of the Cross is 997 metres approximately the same distance as that which Christ trod from the Praetorium to Calvary. Seville's early procession of the Stations of the Cross is a milestone in the evolution of the Penitential brotherhoods of the city and although this route no longer forms part of any of the brotherhoods processions during holy Week, it is still commemorated on the first Friday of Lent inside Casa de Pilatos.

In 1526 Charles V of Germany and I of Spain chose Seville as the city for his marriage with Isabel of Portugal. The ceremony took place in the Alcázar, many of whose apartments and patios were renovated in Renaissance style. The harmonious pavilion built in the spacious gardens of The Alcázar is still to be seen and set into its floor is the name of its builder, or perhaps, renovator, Master of Works Juan Hernández and the date, 1546.

This imperial wedding highlighted yet again the inadequacy of the Town Hall in the midst of the chaotic Corral de los Olmos, next to the Archbishop´s palace. Thus in 1526 it was agreed that the seat of local government should be transferred to a new purpose-built site in plaza San Francisco, which became the city centre par excellence, in which the temporal and ecclesiastical powers stood shoulder to shoulder, the other sides of the square being occupied by the Royal Prison, the Courts of Law and the Monastery of San Francisco.

In 1543 the Consulate of the Indies, in which all Spanish merchants trading with the Indies were registered, was founded. Until this time most contracts and agreements had been discussed on the Cathedral steps. This led the Chapter House to surround the Cathedral with chains, suspended between marble columns which are still extant, to impede these traders and merchants, some even on horseback and with pack animals, from entering the cathedral. The problem found its permanent solution when the Herrerian style La Casa de la Lonja was completed in 1598. Later, King Carlos III ordered that the building be adapted to house the Archives of The Indies.

In 1570 Philip II visited Seville, an occasion on which the city´s inhabitants surpassed themselves in the reception of their king. The numerous Royal Cortège made its triumphal entry throuogh Puerta de Goles city gate which was renamed Puerta Real (Royal Gate) to commemorate the ocassion. Chronicler Luis Cabrera de Córdoba recounts that Philip II "rejoiced to see the great, beautiful, rich, noble and loyal City, possessed of the best which nature, artifice and mankind could lay at the feet of a prince".

In June 1579 the much- venerated Gothic images of La Virgen de las Batallas and Nuestra Señora de los Reyes were solemnly transferred to the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) of the Cathedral. As well as these two images, the latter being patron of the Archdiocese of Seville, many other relics and illustrious dead were also removed to their present resting place, including San Leandro, San Fernando, his sword and pennant, Doña Beatriz de Suabia, Alfonso X the Wise, Pedro I, Doña María de Padilla and the Princes Alonso, Pedro and Fadrique.

During the sixteenth century the solemn procession of Corpus Christi was consolidated as the most important in Seville's liturgical calender. This procession was characterised by its many different elements, the religious, the profane and the eye-catching street decorations. Besides this the procession itself included representations of the city's guilds. In 1587 silversmith Juan de Arfe's impressive Monstrance was carried in procession. This sterling silver Monstrance is still admired by Sevillians and visitors alike due to its size but more importantly, due to its rich decoration.

The immortal Miguel de Cervantes was well acquainted with the social and economic reality of Seville at the close of the sixteenth century.Indeed he once said of the city that it was "...shelter of the poor and refuge of the unfortunate, in whose grandeur not only the humble can be found, but also the rich may be seen. Ruffians rogues and charlatans were all to be encountered in the streets of sixteenth-century Seville, attracted by the city's extraordinary opulence. Cervantes no doubt drew from life for such characters as Rinconete and Cortadillo, perhaps created during his sojurn in the Royal Prison. Although the prison no longer exists, a bronze bust of Cervantes by Sebastián Santos Rojas may be seen in c/ Francisco Bruna, site of Cervantes' incarceration.

Baroque Seville
In spite of the riches of the previous century, seventeenth-century Seville fell prey to the grave economic crisis which afflicted Europe in general and Spain in particular. This economic decline which was further aggravated in Seville by various natural catastrophes such as floods and the plague was, fortunately, not accompanied by a corresponding artistic decline. In fact, the opposite was rather the case.

Inflamed by Counter-Reformation zeal, Seville became what can only be described as a monastic city. No more proof is needed than the fact that in 1671 the city had 45 monasteries and 28 convents. Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustines and Jesuits were the most populous orders. Thus was the social and architectural backdrop to the Holy Week processions which, since the 1604 Synod called by Cardenal Fernando Niño de Guevara, had an obligatory section culminating in the Cathedral. This was the origin of the "Carrera Oficial" or Official Route which all Brotherhoods must follow. This route begins at La Campana, follows Calle Sierpes, crosses Plaza San Francisco, goes along Avenida de la Constitución and finally enters the Cathedral.

By this time, the principal Brotherhoods had already been formed. The fame of some of the objects of their devotion has passed outside the limits of Seville and even of Spain itself. Two examples of the above are Jesús del Gran Poder and La Macarena. The image of Jesus was sculpted by Juan de Mesa in 1620 and the latter by a member of the School of Pedro Roldán in the second half of the seventeenth century and are to be found in the city´s two minor basilicas.

Doubtlessly Religion was the prime mover of seventeenth-century Seville, which became the stage upon which many religious acts were played, such as the canonisations which took place during this period. In 1622 Francisco Javier (Francis Xavier) Teresa de Jesús (Theresa of Jesus) and Felipe Neri (Philip Neri) were raised to sainthood. But the most important canonisation was that of San Fernando in 1671. This particular ceremony shone with an especial splendour, with popular festivals, religious rites and ephimeral arquitecture.

This period also sees Seville becoming known as "Land of the Virgin Mary", this fact being recognised in 1946 when the phrase "muy mariana" -"devoted to Our Lady"- was added to the city's coat of arms. This Marian fervour would explain why the city was so interested in the heated debate of the Immaculate Conception - whether the Virgin Mary's own birth was, like Christ's, by Immaculate Conception. This debate was a bone of serious contention between the Franciscans who believed in the Immaculate Conception , and the Dominicans who did not.The Sevillian populace obviously took the Franciscans' side, ridiculing the Dominicans with rhymes that quickly became familiar to all: "In spite of all their monasteries, and the Dominicans within, Mary was conceived without Original Sin". Even more popular were the verses written by Miguel Cid and set to music by Father Bernardo de Toro. In fact these songs are still sung by the Seises, one of the choruses being:"All of the people shout with one voice to our Queen: Our Lady, you were conceived without Original Sin". The theme of the Immaculate Conception was a recurrent one for the city's artists, Martínez Montañés being its prime exponent in sculpture and Murillo on canvas, both of whom created masterpieces inspired by this particular Muse.

The infamous plague of 1649 left behind a terrible devastation as can be seen in an anonymous canvas in the Franciscan Nuns' Hospital del Pozo Santo. Seville's population was halved, which was a heavy blow for the local economy. One of the plague's most illustrious victims was the sculptor Martínez Montañés who was buried in the Parish church of Santa María Magdalena. Slowly, discontent began to seep into the social fabric of Sevillian life., but especially amongst the most lowly. This discontent came to a head in the 1652 riot in Calle Feria sparked off by the scarcity and high price of bread. Calle Feria street is however more famous for its centuries-old Thursday flea market where the passer-by can contemplate the most varied and curious goods, especially antiques and second-hand items.

Don Miguel de Mañara y Vicentelo de Leca, Knight of the Order of Calatrava's name must be mentioned in the same breath as the Hospital y Hermandad (Brotherhood) de la Santa Caridad founded in 1578. This institution was originally founded to bury paupers and criminals with a modicum of decency, and later extended its activity to sheltering the homeless old. Ortiz y Zúñiga, a contemporary chronicler wrote that after the death of his wife, Mañara renounced the pleasures of this world and dedicated himself to working for the Brotherhood, becoming Brother Superior from 1664 to his death in 1679.

The figure of Mañara is also believed by some, albeit wrongly, to have inspired Tirso de Molina's most famous creation, destined for universal fame, Don Juan in his play "El Burlador de Seville" or "The Seducer of Seville". Don Juan, the unrepentant seducer, inspired many plays and operas, such as that of Mozart. Seville has honoured this fictitious libertine with a bust in the Plaza de los Refinadores, in the Barrio de Santa Cruz.

Miguel de Mañara's influence still pervades the Hospital de la Santa Caridad. He is buried under the high altar of the church, even though his wish was to be buried in the threshold so that all those who entered would walk over him, but not before reading his chilling epitaph. "Here lies the dust and bones of the worst man to have lived on God's earth. Please pray for his soul".

Mañara's thoughts can be perused in his book "Discurso de la Verdad"- "On Truth"- which is a representative example of his century´s disdain for earthly goods and pleasures, a century which saw eternal life as man´s main goal, a goal achieved through works of charity. This attitude to life was captured and given form in the church, a Baroque jewel, which Mañara built and dedicated to St. George (La Iglesia de San Jorge). Many famous contemporary artists collaborated in the construction such as Bernardo Simón de Pineda who executed the retable, sculptor Pedro Roldán, painters Juan de Valdés Leal and Murillo.

Perhaps one of the most touching details of Mañara's influence in the Hospital de la Caridad are the eight rose bushes which, according to tradition, were planted by Mañara himself over three centuries ago and since which time have not stopped flowering.

Another hospital, El Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes, was founded in 1675 by Canon Justino de Neve to receive the many sick and homeless priests and friars who wandered the city at that time. The church with canvasses by Valdés Leal Senior and Junior was the first to be dedicated to San Fernando. This charitable institution, in the heart of the Barrio Santa Cruz carried on its good works well into this century and the beautiful building, designed in the purest Baroque style by Leonardo de Figueroa, has been home to the cultural foundation Fundación FOCUS since 1991.

1681 saw the birth of the Seminary college of San Telmo whose duty according to Carlos III was to "...house, bring up and educate orphaned and abandoned boys for service in the navy and fleets of the Indies". Since then, this Baroque Palace, emblematic of Seville´s civil architecture of the period, has undergone many changes in its use. Among other things, it was residence of the Dukes of Montpensier in the nineteenth century. During most of this century, it was the provincial Seminary and finally, since 1989 it has been home to the Presidency of the Junta de Andalucía, or regional government.

Enlightenment Seville
In 1717 the administration of the Indies was moved to Cádiz and thus disappeared Seville's monopoly on the Indies trade, and her prosperity. Political reasons coupled with the navigational difficulties of the river were the motive of such a loss in favour of the sea-port. No corresponding change was to be found in Seville's high society. Indeed after the War of Succession had placed the House of Bourbon on throne, Seville was honoured with new noble families such as the Counts Galindo and Aguila whose mansions are still to be found in Plaza del Museo and calle Aguilas respectively.

Between 1729 and 1733 Felipe V established his court in Seville. During this so-called Royal Lustrum the city of Seville threw itself heart and soul into the task of entertaining and amusing their melancholy monarch who needed constant change and novelty. Also during these years the devotion to La Divina Pastora (Divine Shepherdess), whose origins were in Seville, was consolidated.This devotion, which was introduced into Hispano-America by Fr. Isidore of Seville in 1703. During this time La Divina Pastora was painted by Alonso Miguel de Tovar after the style of Murillo.

On 18 June 1725 a Royal Command decreed the relocation of the tobacco factory to a site next to San Telmo Palace. When the construction, supervised by military engineers, was completed it was the largest industrial building erected in Europe during the eighteenth century.

This building, now the main building of Seville University is the backdrop to the first scenes of Prosper Merimé's 1845 drama which in turn served as the basis of Bizet's opera, "Carmen". Carmen was a voluptuous tobacco worker who drove men wild with desire.

The last act takes place in Seville's bullring, Holy of Holies to the bullfighting world. After disdaining the desperate advances of Don José, a former lover, Carmen is stabbed by him and expires before La Puerta del Príncipe, the door through which many a triumphant bullfighter has been carried shoulder-high.

During this period in Seville Royal Proclamations were greeted with sumptuous and popular celebrations in which dances, bullfights, jousts, the erection of ephemeral buildings, masquerades, allegorical processions and theatre alternated with vertiginous rapidity. Fernando VI and Bárbara de Braganza's coronation in 1746 was celebrated by the tobacco factory workers with a masquerade. The procession consisted of eight symbolical carriages. The last of which was topped with a portrait of the new monarchs. The painter Domingo Martínez, who affected Murillo's style, captured this Baroque event in a series of canvasses which not only illustrated the colour and ostention of this event, but also gave an accurate chronicle of contemporary Sevillian society and customs. These paintings still captivate the spectator´s wonder and imagination today in Seville's Art gallery (Museo de Bellas Artes).

The earthquake which destroyed Lisbon on 1 November 1755 was also the greatest natural catastrophe to ever hit Seville. A contemporary source relates that "all of Seville´s streets became one vast theatre upon which scenes of bitterness and desperation were played". It is said that the earthquake was of such strength that the bells of the Giralda pealed on their own. Innumerable buildings and monuments were left in ruins or in urgent need of repair. The cathedral Chapter House attributed the fact that no-one was killed for the divine intervention of the Virgin Mary and in thanks erected a "Triumph" dedicated to the Virgin in the Square next to the Cathedral which has been known since then as "Plaza del Triunfo".

In 1758 Seville´s first newspaper -the "Hebdo-mario útil de Seville" was the first paper to be printed in Spain outside Madrid. In 1792 another paper was started -"Diario histórico y político de Seville" which was followed in 1803 by "Correo literario y económico de Seville". For those interested, these papers can be consulted in the Hemeroteca Municipal - Municipal Newspaper Library in calle Almirante Apodaca situated in what was the Law Court (Antiguos Juzgados).

Under Pablo Olavide, Seville University was moved from its original seat in the colegio de Santa María de Jesús to what had been the Jesuit Monastery until their expulsion from Spain in 1767. Nowadays, this building in Calle Laraña is the Fine Arts department of the University.

In May 1700, the century of enlightenment and scientific discovery, Seville saw the foundation of the Royal Society of Philosophy and Medicine of Seville, the first of its type in Spain. Other Royal Societies would follow during the century: in 1751 the Royal Academy of Letters was founded. In 1775 it was the turn of the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Realm and of the Royal School of the Three Noble Arts which was the forerunner of the present-day Royal Academy of Fine Arts of St Isabel of Hungary which like the other modern Sevillian Academies has its seat in La Casa de los Pinelo, a Reinaissance mansion in Calle Abades.

Olavide was also the creator of a new municipal figure, that of the neighbourhood mayor as well as dividing the city into quarters, neighbourhoods and blocks, which were indicated by tiles let into the walls of various buildings. In fact some of these tiles can still be seen.

In 1771 the ubiquitous Olavide ordered the creation of the first map of Seville, drawn up by Francisco Manuel Coelho and etched by José Antonio Amat. Such was its accuracy that it was awarded a prize by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. In fact even today it is an indispensible document for any researcher of eighteenth-century Seville.