To speak of Seville and of it's history is to speak of the different civilazations that have settled on these rich and fertile lands thanks to the Guadalquivir River. The first important population dates back to the Roman era. The Romans named this city Hispalis, from there comes the word Hispalense. The muslims named it Ishbiliya name that finally became Sevilla.

To speak of the history of Seville cannot be reduced just to the romans and muslims, because before and after there ar very important moments in the history of this city. To start with, the Tartessos were the first to settle here dating back to 10 centuries before Christ. They called this city Spal. There first settlements were along the Guadalquivir River.

Later on the Phoenicians and Carthagineans moved in, giving life to the city since they came in through the Guadalquivir River and promoted this city.

From Rome to the Muslim Seville

Since the Roman era, Seville began its most important growing period. They began building fortresses. They settled here two centuries before Christ and named this city Hispalis.

Next to Hispalis, the Romans founded Italica a city that today is in ruins, and in this era they developed many residential areas. In the Roman era Seville became one of the most important cities in Europe.

After the Romans, the Visigoths entered. They were vandals determined to destroy anything that had to do with the Romans. They destroyed numerous buildings in this region as well as fortress walls. This era lasted a couple of centuries until the muslims got to Seville in 712.

Seville was one of the first places to be conquered by the muslims along with the rest of Andalusia. They settled in the city and began to test the waters, and built buildings that today are part of the Seville's history. A city that belonged to the Caliphate of Cordoba, and was nonetheless the most important city in Al Andalus.

The Re-Conquest

In the 8th century the Christians began to reconquer Seville and its surroundings, and the city went on to the hands of The Castille Kingdom on the 23 of November, 1248. It was ruled by Fernando III of Castille. Together with Alfonso X, Seville and other cities such as Murcia and Toledo rotated being the capitals. The Torre del Oro (The Gold Tower) and the Giralda is what is left by the Muslims in Seville.

The Catholic King and Queen, Isabel and Ferdinand with the Discovering of America, helped Seville become an important city in the European spectrum, a universal and modern city that became one of the most important in the world for it’s richness and commerce. Seville became the most important port maintaining a good communication between the Americas and Spain.

During the Golden era of the Kingdom of Castille and of course Seville, it became a city known for it’s great economy. The only downfall happened during a time of epidemics that practically wiped out the city.

Later on in a more contemporary era of the city, Seville suffered a French invasion in the 9th century. It didn’t last long, in 1833 the administrative province of Seville was created under the ruling of Isabel II. Many factories were built as well as the building of homes, and residential areas which provoked the downfall of the thousand year old fortresses.

Seville in the 20th century

In the 20th century we must mention the Cruzcampo beer factory, the Plaza de Espana, the foundation of the ABC newspaper, and Blas Infante starts the Andalusian nationalist party making Seville the most important city in Andalusia. But unfortunately like all great periods, a bad one follows, this time being the civil war that stopped the development of this city.

The year 1992 is one of those important dates that Seville will never forget. This was the year the Expo 92 was held, an event that helped put Seville once more on the map for tourists on a worldwide level. They bettered their infrastructures, brought the AVE fast train with destination to Madrid, the Isla Magica theme park in La Caruja etc. Things from them on have just improved and Seville keeps it’s great pace of development.