My guidebook hooked me with an image of one of the barrel-vaulted ceilings within the Museo de Belles Artes (the photo above is mine). As someone who appreciates a beautifully styled art gallery as much as the artworks themselves, I had to go see it for myself. This museum features artworks predominantly depicting Christian themes: I saw several versions of the Immaculate Conception, Assumption of the Virgin, and various saints and visions. It makes sense that this would be the bulk of this gallery's collections given the intensity of Spain's devotion to those topics over the centuries (hello Inquisition). Because I went late in the day, the gallery clerk let me in for free (normally the museum is €1.50 for non-EU citizens, otherwise it's free).
Next two photos: A few pieces caught my attention, like this Jewish writing desk (top), and this painting of Seville from the late 16th/early 17th century (bottom). You can see the bell tower of the cathedral prominently displayed in the centre of the piece.
One of the best things I did while in Seville was partake in the walking tours arranged by my hostel. These were "free" in that you didn't pay upfront for the tour, but evaluated and gave what you thought was fair payment at the end of the walk. For both walks Fillippo (a funny, and fast-walking Italian) was our guide. The first walk I went on was through the Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz. There was some interesting (and also tragic) stories from that quarter. The second walk was a more general overview of Seville. One of the most impressive things we walked to was Plaza d'España which was built for the Iberian-American Expo in 1929. Looking at my camera, I really wish I had taken more photos. This place is huge! All 49 of Spain's provinces are represented in alphabetical order around the semi-circle structure with important historical or literary references depicted in the tile work.
Below: me in front of the main pavilion of Plaza d'España.
Next two photos: the surrender of Granada to the Christians and Don Quixote "attacking" the windmills of La Mancha.
The next day I was feeling a bit depleted with all that walking, so I decided to take a day off and have some pampering. My body was sore and I knew it was time for self-care so that my chronic pain wouldn't debilitate me. I went to the Aire Baños Árabes to relax in the various pools (salt, hot, lukewarm, cold, jacuzzi) and to breathe in the aromatherapy of the hammam steam room. This portion cost €27, and I elected to not have a massage there as it was pricey and I had a recommendation for a local Japanese woman who did shiatsu. I felt much better after both treatments.
That night, I went to see a flamenco show at El Palácio Andaluz, which was considered by many to be "pure" flamenco. The show cost €16 when booked through my hostel, otherwise the cost is €38 at the door! I was seated on the left side of the "orchestra" seating (there was an upper mezzanine level as well) at the end of the row, which allowed me to get up to stretch my legs and to get a better view of the performers. The show is very professional, and you can see how much passion the dancers had for their chosen art form. Two dancers stood out in my mind, and are pictured below. There was even a 12 minute flamenco adaptation of the opera Carmen which I absolutely adored. Flamenco is as much about the swirling, intense dance as it is about the music, the rhythmic pounding of feet, and the clapping of hands. A veritable feast for your eyes and ears! There was a museum of flamenco located below the theatre level, but I missed the opportunity to visit.
Below: two of the best of the professional dancers from El Palácio Andaluz.
On my last full day in Seville, I decided to go to Triana (across the canal) to visit what was left of the Castillo de San Jorge and to check out the famous ceramics of Santa Anna. The museum inside the remains of the Castillo is free, and the exposition centres on the Spainish Inquisition as this former citadel was the seat of the Inquisition for more than 300 years (from 1481 to 1785). The museum is literally bare bones: a few ruins, a few descriptions of victims (but not how they were tortured, perhaps too gory?) and a multimedia theatre (only the sound worked, the video was broken - but hey, the museum was free) presentation about the sad end of an innocent young widow who was thrown into the hands of the Inquisition by a jilted lover. She finally "confessed" to being a witch after being tortured in a lightless cell after three years. She died before she even could make it to the stake to be burned alive. So sad.
Above: a painting depicting the castle's ominous presence (left) from the viewpoint of the Torre del Oro (right). It's imposing size was a symbol of the Inquisition throughout Europe. Thousands of people suffered and died in the cells and dungeons therein, or at the stake.
The Inquisition was probably the darkest period of Spanish history. Originally, the Inquisition's goal was to seek out seemingly converted Jews and Muslims who were still practicing their old beliefs and traditions in order to create a homogenous religious population within Spain. But the thing spiralled out of control as neighbours informed on each other, people in power abused their authority and fanaticism ran rampant. Even Saint Theresa was not without threat, as her book called Life came into question and the inquisitors saught to find her at fault. But she just laughed and shrugged it off and said "I had never felt afraid of anything." Brave words!
Below: Saint Theresa not giving two hoots about the Inquisition.
The museum visit ends with a wall showing certain articles from the UN Declaration of Human Rights. I feel that this museum could have been so much more than it was. If the city invested in it, and charged admittance, it could really be something. But I get the feeling that the Spanish want to sponge this terrible history from their minds, which is probably why the citadel was taken down and the land given to Triana to become its current public marketplace.
Lastly, I want to talk about the food of Seville. It is amazing! Tapas bars abound, where you can have a filling meal and a couple glasses of wine for about €12. You can either stand at the bar or wait for a table. I went to one tapas bar (the Coloniales) almost every day, and the staff learned my name, and I introduced my friends from the hostel to this place. On the walk back from Triana, I found a great restaurant with some tasty tapas. Here's a sample of a traditional tapas meal:
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