Plaza de España

The Plaza de España is the largest regionalist building in Andalusia, which was built on the occasion of the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 based on a project of the architect Aníbal González, who carried out the work together with several collaborators until he ended up resigning due to the numerous budget cuts, leaving Pedro Sánchez Núñez in charge, and Vicente Traver later on.

It is part of the Parque de María Luisa and everything in the square is plagued with symbolism. Its half ellipse form symbolizes the embrace of Spain to the people of South America and the fact that it looks towards the Guadalquivir has to do with that. This was the exiting path to leave for the Indies during the time of the discovery.

The biggest controversy during its construction is related to its two towers, which were expected to rival in height with La Giralda, something that not everyone agreed. Although it was created to form part of the University of Seville, in the end it never did. It is currently the headquarters for the sub-delegation of the government.

As a fun fact, it can be said that Seville's Plaza de España has been part of different movie scenarios, such as Lawrence of Arabia or Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, among many other productions. The latest was a Bollywood film, from the Indian film industry.

What to do at Plaza de España?

Beautiful pictures

It is a beautiful place for photographs, both for the beauty of the buildings and the surroundings. There are many fantastic corners for photography lovers and to create memories in images.

Take a boat ride:

There is a semicircular canal at the square by which boaters stroll with boats and offer tours to the tourists. The boats pass beneath the bridges reminding slightly of the Venetian canals.

Take a stroll on a horse carriage

Another typical activity for tourists. Throughout the Parque de María Luisa, there are chariots pulled by horses that can be rented for a ride. They are mainly used by tourists who come to visit the city and want to be part of something really Andalusian.

Just walking

It’s the perfect place for a promenade to enjoy the wonderful surroundings. It’s ideal for kids, since they can run and burn their energy in a safe environment.