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The
city of Seville is located on the plain of the Guadalquivir river which
crosses the city from North to South. The river can be navigated from Seville
all the way to its outlet near Sanlicar de Barrameda, on the Atlantic coast.
In the past the port of Seville played an important role in commerce between
Spain and the Americas and remains today one of the most active river ports
of the Iberian peninsula.
The
Tartessians were the original founders of Hispalis. Next to this settlement,
in 207 B.C., the Romans built It?lica. It was the centre of their Western
Mediterranean dominions for seven centuries until the Roman empire was
overrun by Northern barbarians at the beginning of the 10th century.
The
long Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula, from 711 A.D. to 1248
A.D., left indelible traces in Seville as in all of Al-Andalus. La Giralda,
the tower of an important mosque, is the most well-known of the remaining
Islamic monuments.
In
1492 Seville played an important role in the discovery and conquest of
America.
The
17th century was a period of artistic splendour in Seville. Painters such
as Vel?zquez, Murillo and Vald?s Leal, and sculptors like Mart?nez Monta??s
were born in Seville and left behind important works. The city also assumed
an important role in world literature and was the birthplace of the myth
of Don Juan.
On
two occasions in the 20th century Seville has been in the spotlight of
the world's attention. In 1929, it hosted the Latin American Exhibition,
which left important urban improvements in the city. More recently, Expo
92 reinforced the image of Seville as a modern and dynamic city. |
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