Malaga good, Granada better, Sevilla best: I summarize my emotions at the end of an exciting trip in Andalusia.
The capital of the Comunidad offers many suggestion so being alone I dedicate myself to discovering lesser-known places.
Triana and La Cartuja are the two areas under observation because they are close to each other: having the hostel in the center, I opt for a 40-minute walk to reach Triana.
Crossing the Guadalquivir gave me the chance o admire the Cathedral and the Giralda from afar in an excellent position.
Triana is the alternative district of the city, the hard-core of Betis Sevilla and formerly housed the gypsy community.
TRIANA
Right under the Castillo de San Jorge a museum about the Holy Inquisition and the famous mercado much praised by the guides.
I take a short foray but it doesn’t strike me… nothing special, honestly.
The pretty Plaza de Altoyano with the famous miradores on the river and the old town in the distance.
On the other hand, I really like the area of the river and the history of the Nuestra Señora de la O: it is a church that hosts the Cachorro.
The uniqueness of this statue of Christ is a tortoise cross wrapped around the neck, a gift from some sailors saved from a shipwreck.
Beautiful Torre del Oro is also nearby but it’s time for lunch so I opt for tasty tapas and bocadillos for fullfilling my mind and body.
LA CARTUJA
Isla de la Cartuja, about 1 and a half kilometers: the Monastery is located within an island acutally hosting the Andalusian Center of Contemporary Art.
Monastery dates back to 1399; Christopher Columbus took advantage of the hospitality of the monks and from here he organized his second trip.
The rests of the great Navigator were brought from Valladolid to La Cartuja for 30 years at the behest of his son Diego before finally migrating to Hispaniola.
Museum of Art has singular and bizarre pieces such as Alicia by Cristina Lucas: a huge head and an arm dangling from the two windows of the monastery, inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
In the first photo we see instead a traveler on a podium symbolizing the various stages of life (childhood, maturity, old age).
Anyway, he is oppressed by many ‘burdens’ of technology: progress or regress of our society?
CASA DE PILATOS
Considered the prototype of the Andalusian Palace; halfway between the Italian Renaissance style and arab Medujar it has 6 patios and 24 Roman Imperators busts.
Inside the patio we have a marble fountain that was commissioned in Italy, on the sides 4 busts which were then added later.
The origin of the name?
The Marquis de Tarifa went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1519 and discovered that the distance between his house and the church located outside the walls, known as the Cross of the Field (Cruzcampo – famous local beer) was te same to that betweem the Pontius Pilate’s residence and the Calvary.
And like any self-respecting Sevillian palace, the Garden shines in the face of so much beauty and history.
Well-kept and luxuriant, it also has an internal lake that resembles to the one contained within the Al-hambra in Granada.
The Renaissance-style Praetorian Hall is also wonderful.
The walls of the room are composed of azulejos with more than 150 different designs; one of the largest collections of azulejos in the world.
Cathedral and the Giralda leave you speechless; the Torre del Oro is unmissable just as Plaza de Espana.
The famous plaza is a triumph of detail and meticulous work.
At least 4 days are needed to visit what in the sixteenth century was considered one of the most important cities in the world.
The city played a leading role in the discovery of America by hosting the Casa de Contrataciòn, a commercial authority that held the monopoly of goods in the colonies of the Nuevo Mundo.
The city has so many things to visit and experience that it will satisfy all travelers’ desires.