One of my favorite comedians (Eddie Izzard), in one of my favorite comedy specials (Dress to Kill), said, “I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from…” and I have thought about that quote nearly every day since arriving in Sevilla earlier this summer. It’s impossible not to, when you’re on the bus traveling down the street and suddenly there’s a piece of a Roman aqueduct in the median, or you’re meandering through your neighborhood park with a Roman wall lining the back border. Even the neighborhood names – Puerta Osario, Puerta de La Carne, Puerta Carmona – date back to the days when Sevilla was surrounded by a protective wall.
Of course, Sevilla’s history is not just Roman. Briefly under control of the Visigoths (and when I say “briefly” I mean for “only” 200 years, give or take), it fell under Muslim control in the 8th century, where it flourished until Ferdinand III and the Spanish Christians overcame the Muslims in 1248, sending both Muslims and Jews into exile. Pieces of each of those enduring and incredible cultures are everywhere, if you just know where to look. And the best way to find them is on a walking or bike tour with an experienced guide!
We took a wonderful bike tour with Alvarito, an enthusiastic student of history and archaeology whose fascination with his city was infectious. One of the first things he pointed out was right in our own neighborhood – one corner of a modern building that was built around a piece of old Roman architecture. Later, he pointed out how the bricks of major churches were larger at the bottom – recycled from Roman buildings, then as the towers rose incorporated elemented of Muslim mosques that were then repurposed into Christian churches. Whaaattt?? It’s crazy! And once you see it, you start to notice it everywhere.
I was never a big fan of history – science is more my jam – but you can’t live in a place like Sevilla and NOT be into it. Walking on roads that Roman soldiers, Muslim traders, and early explorers walked is, simply, mind-blowing.
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