There is a great amount of history in Seville. The city of Seville is about 2,220 years old. Seville used to be Iberian town and was actually founded by the Romans. The original people of Seville were known as The Silingi Vandals. The town fell to the Muslims in 711 BC. After the Muslims took over, Seville became a leader in cultural and commercial centers under the Abbasid Dynasty. Seville was the capital of Alomad in the 12th century. Seville also enjoyed great programs in terms of building. Unfortunately in 1248 Muslim reigned ended in Seville after being taken over by Spanish Christians rule. The leader of this group was Ferdinand III. After Spanish Christians took over Jewish and Moorish communities were thrown into exile, which had a devastating impact on their economy and left it in shambles.

The Spanish Christians brought new prosperity to the city of Seville. Seville became the place for exploration  of the Americas through The Casa de Contratacion, which translates to the house of trade and was created in 1503 in order to regulate the selling of and buying of goods between the New World and Spain. Seville was the richest Cities in Spain during the 16th century. Sevilles was also the most populated city in Spain during the 16th century as well. The population of Seville in the year 1588 was 150,000 people. Seville economy declined in the 17th century as a result of relying on other colonies for their goods instead of relying on trading with others from Spain. 

Art and literature were also an important part in Seville’s history as well. Some famous painters in Seville were: Fransicso de Zurbaran, Bartolome Etseban Murillo, and Diego Velazquez. Fransicso de Zurbara pieces of art were Eternal Father and Temptations of Saint Jerome. Diego Velazquez also had paintings such as Don Cristobol Suraez de Ribera and Saint Ildefonzo Receiving the Chasuble from the Virgin. Some paintings that were created by Bartolome Eteban Murillo were Saint Anne teaching the Virgin to read and La Colasal Immaculate Conception. These paintings are all currently in the Museum of fine arts of Seville today. Juan Martinez Montanes was a famous sculptor in Seville. He was born in 1568 in Alcala la Real, Spain and died in the year 1649 in Seville, Spain at the age of 81 years old. Some of his works of art in included Child Jesus Standing, which was created in 1625, and Saint John the Evangelist that he created in 1638. Some famous poets in Seville were Miguel de Cervantes and Fernando de Herrera. Miguel de Cervantes was born in Alcala de Henares, Spain in 1547 and died in Madrid, Spain in 1616. One of Miguel de Carvantes most famous book was called Don Quixote, which he wrote while he was in a Seville Jail. Some of his other books included La Galatea and The Little Gispy Girl, and both books were written in the year 1613. Fernando de Herrera was born in Seville in 1534 and died in Seville in 1597. Some famous books that he wrote included Poesia, which was his most popular book and Sonetos. 

“Sevilla.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/place/Sevilla-Spain. 

“Baroque Masters in the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville – Google Arts & Culture.” Google, Google, 

Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/202718. 

“Fernando De Herrera.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fernando-de-Herrera.

“Diego Velázquez.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Diego-Velazquez. 

Valencia R. Islamic Seville: Its political, social and cultural history. Brill. 1992 Jan 1 [accessed 2022 Nov 21]. https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004502598/B9789004502598_s009.xml