Santa Cruz is the name of a popular neighborhood of Seville that is part of the old town. It is bordered on the north by Francisco Bruna and Mariscal streets, with María Luisa Avenue on the southeast, Menéndez Pelayo Avenue on the east, Paseo de las Delicias on the southwest and Constitution Avenue on the west. It is therefore a point of interest for anyone who visits Seville, both for its history and for everything there is to see in this special neighborhood.
History of interest of the neighborhood of Santa Cruz
In these areas resided both Muslim and Jewish so it was called the neighborhood of Santa Cruz as the Jewish quarter in ancient Seville.
Added to this, it had certain difficulties as people in this area were sickly and the neighborhood was small, but for that time Fernando III who was king of Castile conquers the city and he is determined to fix these problems.
In 1929 the Ibero-American Exposition was held in Seville and people like Juan Talavera Heredia and José Laguillo wanted to support the improvement of the neighborhood for such an important event so they urbanized this neighborhood again leaving as a result what you can enjoy today if you visit this part of the city call Santa Cruz.
Brief description of the neighborhood of Santa Cruz
To talk about this neighborhood and its meaning we will have to go back to the Roman Seville being known as the city of Híspalis. At that time, this neighborhood had walled limits on its front and southern side alike, placing the ‘cardus’ or the great Roman road just where now lies the current street Abades and Don Remondo
Just there, exactly next to the ‘cardus’ previously mentioned was a very particular II century temple. Only three columns of the porch are conserved at present day of which turned out to be 6 in the Middle-Age.
This is how a history of conquests that has as protagonists to Spanish, French and even Muslims and Jews starts. All of them were motivated by the conquest of this piece of land that today is one of the best historical treasures in Spain. This is why in the Santa Cruz neighborhood of Seville lays so much culture and tradition worthy of being admired.
What to see in the neighborhood of Santa Cruz in Seville
- Plaza del Triunfo: It is located right on the southern edge of the neighborhood and turns out to be the most monumental point of this part of the city. This is because here, all the historic buildings of the Cathedral of Seville are concentrated as is the case of the famous Giralda or the General Archive of the Indies. So much is the importance of this place that it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Also, it is worth noting that the place owes its name to the cathedral building which was not affected by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
- Plazuela de Santa Marta: From Plaza del Triunfo you can get to admire one of the most iconic corners of the neighborhood. This is Plazuela de Santa Marta, a place where barely fit 4 orange trees and a cross of ends of the XVIth century like decoration of outside. The name of this square derives from an old hospital that lay in this precise place where a small convent now stands.
- Patio de Banderas: It is located next to the building of the Reales de Alcázares, being able to observe from there a beautiful panoramic view of the Cathedral and Giralda. You will be able to feel in this small space that you are in another dimension thanks to that magical atmosphere that does not seem of this world.
- Plaza de Santa Cruz: Another of the iconic places of the Santa Cruz neighborhood that you cannot miss if you are in this part of the city. This square has several orange trees and right in its center there is a monument that dates from 1692. This is the well-known Cruz de Cerrajería which was moved there from Sierpes street in 1921.
This is just a sample of everything there is to see in the neighborhood of Santa Cruz in Seville. Would you encourage yourself to visit and stay at the best hotel in the city?
