Weather forecast Seville

Seville (including rainfall and temperature averages)

More than any other city in Spain, Seville shows the marks of the country’s colourful and often tempestuous history. Founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, the city passed through the hands of the Visigoths before it was conquered by the Moors in 712. Under them it became an important centre in Muslim Andalusia, ruled by the Sultans from the Alcazar. After the Reconquest, it continued to grow as an economic centre, until when the New World was discovered it was given the trade monopoly with Spain’s colonies in Latin America. Only ships departing from Seville could go to the colonies, with the result that merchants from all over the world flocked to the city; by the late sixteenth century, when the river silted up and the monopoly passed to Cadiz, there were a million inhabitants. The Great Plague of 1649 killed half the population and the city went into decline, which was not reversed until the industrial revolution.

Orange scented, passionate and gracious, Seville remains the archetype of Andalusian promise. Every moment there has the potential to be intense and dramatic; the most dramatic of all occur around April. Easter Week here is as nowhere else in the world – different Catholic brotherhoods parade through the streets in costumes that look worryingly like those of the Ku Klux Klan but are in fact far older, with none of the negative connotations of the latter. Elaborate floats carrying seventeenth century images of the Virgin or Christ go behind them, with followers playing mournful dirges and singing hymns. Then at the end of the month, the Feria de Abril is the biggest fiesta in the country. Tents and pavilions are erected all along the river; early in the day Sevillian society parades around the fairground on horseback or in old carriages, or goes to watch bullfights, while in the evenings there are staggering displays of flamenco dancing.

Don’t despair if you’re here at a different time, though. The old town of Seville is enchanting, with tall elegant houses packed tight into its steep cobbled streets. Barrio Santa Cruz is redolent with history, the whitewashed houses evoking old fashioned courtship. The Hospital de Caridad was built for the relief of the dying and destitute in 1676, for which purpose it is still used, and features grotesque paintings of the Triumph of Death by Valdes Leal as well as eleven Murillo paintings. The city’s top attraction is the Alcazar, home to Seville’s rulers from Roman times. The Moors built a compound of graceful tiled palaces here, ornately carved with ancient symbols, with beautiful rambling gardens. Nearby, and in direct contrast, the Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in the world, awe inspiring in its hugeness and simplicity. The Giralda tower at one end was originally a Moorish minaret and was incorporated into the design.

Some of the best Sevillian experiences occur after dark. Whether you’re snacking on delicious tapas (which originated here) in one of the many bars, drinking some rough red wine whilst watching a superlative flamenco performance or jumping around to electronica in the sleek clubs, it’s certain to be unforgettable. Sevillians love to chat and any friendly approaches will be greeted with good-natured warmth. They also love to dance – try the Sevillanas, a complicated and beautiful traditional dance that is almost impossible for beginners but great fun nonetheless.