The picturesque Barrio de Santa Cruz district lies to the east of Seville’s magnificent cathedral and the Real Alcazar palace. There is much to discover within this tangled web of narrow alleyways, including quaint plazas, beautiful old buildings, flower-filled courtyards and a host of popular tapas bars.
Jewish Quarter
During the 14th century, Santa Cruz had been home to a large Jewish community. As the century drew to a close, a strong wave of anti-Semitism swept through Europe, and on 6 July 1391 around 4,000 Jews were massacred in Seville. Over 100 years later, in 1493, Jews were officially expelled from Spain by the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. The Barrio de Santa Cruz then fell into disrepair before being renovated in the 19th century.
Main Attractions
Archivo de Indias – the former Lonja (merchants’ exchange), built in the 16th century, is now home to a huge collection of documents relating to Spain’s discovery, and subsequent rule, of the New World. A sample of the collection, which includes manuscripts written by explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes, is exhibited in the upstairs rooms.
Hospital de los Venerables – this 17th century Baroque building served as a residence for elderly priests until the 1960s, but is now used for art exhibitions and as a headquarters for the FOCUS Foundation. The hospital church boasts some fine sculptures by Pedro Roldan and frescoes by Juan de Valdes Leal.
Callejon del Agua – alongside the walls of the Alcazar gardens runs this narrow, much-photographed alleyway, which takes its name from the water course that flowed along the top of the wall during Moorish times.
Cathedral and Real Alcazar – both these World Heritage sites are among Seville’s best known attractions, but they will be the subject of future articles on this blog.
Pick of the Plazas
Plaza Doña Elvira – with its tiled benches in the shade of orange trees, this is arguably the prettiest plaza in Santa Cruz. It can be a little crowded at times though, so it’s probably best to visit during the afternoon siesta.
Plaza Santa Cruz – in the centre of this square, which occupies the site of the original Iglesia de Santa Cruz from which the Barrio took its name, is an ornate wrought-iron cross from 1692. The great Spanish painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo was born here in 1617.
Plaza Refinadores – the focal point of this shady plaza is a statue of the great literary creation Don Juan. Over the centuries Seville’s legendary lover has been the subject of many novels and operas, most notably Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Plaza de Alianza – cafes and orange trees line the perimeter of this lovely square, which borders one of the Real Alcazar’s walls. Alianza has recently been used as location for an episode of Doctor Who.
Tapas Bars
Bodega Santa Cruz (calle Rodrigo Caro) – also known as ‘Las Columnas’ due to the large pillars by the entrance, this bodega is popular among locals (always a good sign!) and visitors. There’s a large choice of reasonably-priced tapas available, including various types of fried fish.
Bar Giralda (calle Mateos Gago) – converted from a former Moorish bathhouse, this is one of Seville’s finest tapas bars. Favourites such as solomillo al whisky (pork loin in whiskey sauce) and the flamenquin are guaranteed to get your taste buds tingling.
Bar Las Teresas (calle Santa Teresa) – large hams dangling from the ceiling greet you as you enter this bar, which includes gambas al ajillo (prawns in garlic sauce) and puntillatas (fried baby squid) among its specialities.
For an in depth guide to tapas bars in Seville, visit azahar-sevilla.com.
About admin