Seville - Shifting Worlds and Cultures Tour

Seville is one of the most alluring cities in Europe with streets lined with orange trees and a wealth of glorious buildings, as well as a lovely Mediterranean climate. Its historic centre, dominated by its colossal Gothic cathedral, is an intoxicating mix of Moorish Palaces, Baroque churches and winding medieval lanes, with a host of tapas bars and restaurants to tempt you. It is the home of Flamenco, too, with small shows keeping the intimacy and intensity of this centuries-old tradition alive, whilst aristocratic mansions recall the city’s past as a showcase Moorish capital and, later, a 16th-century metropolis rich on the back of New World trade. We will explore the evolution of the city’s culture in the company of art historian, Andrew Spira, who will illumuninate this lustrous city’s artistic and architectural highlights.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly from London Gatwick to Seville and welcome orientation tour.
Fly from London Gatwick to Seville and transfer by coach to your hotel for four-night stay. This afternoon (time permitting), Andrew will conduct a short orientation walk to allow you to get your bearings. Welcome drink and lecture at the hotel– ‘An Exotic Mix: the Muslims, Jews and Christians of Medieval Seville’ – and dinner with wine at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Full day Seville on foot – Royal Alcazar, Cathedral and Hospital Los Venerables.
Today we visit three of Seville’s crowning glories, starting with the Alcazar. A magnificent marriage of Christian and Mudéjar architecture, Seville’s royal palace complex is a breathtaking sight. Originally developed as a fort in 913, it has been revamped many times over the 11 centuries of its existence, most spectacularly in the 14th century when King Pedro added the sumptuous Palacio de Don Pedro, still today the Alcázar’s crowning glory. More recently, the Alcázar featured as a location for the Game of Thrones TV series.  Almost adjacent is the city’s colossal Cathedral, the world’s largest Gothic Cathedral dating back to the 15^th century. Highlights include the Giralda, the mighty bell tower, which incorporates the mosque’s original minaret, the monumental tomb of Christopher Columbus, and the Capilla Mayor with an astonishing gold altarpiece. Our last stop on foot is the wonderful Hospital los Venerables, a gem of a museum, housed in a former hospice for priests with a small but important collection of Spanish art including masterpieces by Velzquez and Murillo. Evening lecture at the hotel – ‘Europe: the Making of Modern Seville’ and tapas dinner with wine at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Full day Seville - Plaza de Toros, Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador, Archivo de Indias and Casa de Pilatos
Another full day’s exploration on foot of this beautiful city, with some of its famous and rather less well-known sights, starting with the very famous Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Cabelleria de Sevilla, to give the 18^th century Bull Ring its full name, a monument and museum in a spectacular setting close to our hotel.  A guided tour will show you some of the highlights. From here to the Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador, overlooking Plaza del Salvador, a baroque church built between 1674 and 1712 on the site of Muslim Ishbiliya's main mosque. Its red-brick facade masks a cavernous, light-filled interior crowned by a soaring dome and filled with extravagant gold altarpieces. Then to the Archivo de Indias Museum, housed in the ancient merchants’ exchange of Seville, which tells the story of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and Asia. And finally, we head to the beautiful Casa de Pilatos, still occupied by the ducal Medinaceli family, one of the city’s most glorious mansions. Originally dating to the late 15th century, it incorporates a wonderful mix of Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance decor, with some beautiful tilework and ceilings of interlaced beams. Return by coach to the hotel with the evening free. A Flamenco show is something not to be missed in Seville with nightly performances at a host of venues throughout the city.

Day 4: Full day Seville - Monasterio Santa Paula, Palace of the Countess of Lebrija and Museum of Fine Arts
By coach to the Monastery of Santa Paula, with access through a mysterious closed door that leads to a beautiful chapel and a small but beautiful collection of art as well as a small shop selling the famous marmalade made by the Jeronimas nuns. From here on foot to the Palace of the Countess of Lebrija, dating back to the 16^th century and containing a collection of art including Roman mosaics. Finally, to Seville’s Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a glorious building dating back to 1594 and home to a superb collection of mainly Spanish paintings. Evening at leisure, perhaps to wander across the river to the atmospheric Triana neighbourhood.

Day 5: Return to the UK
Transfer to Seville Airport for return flight to London Gatwick.

NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager’s discretion

Please note: this tour has been classed as Demanding as includes three full days on foot with limited coach transfers included within the itinerary. Due to the central nature of the visits, they can only be done on foot, so the itinerary is not recommended for those with walking difficulties.

NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion.

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers.

INCLUDED

• Return flights from London Gatwick to Seville
• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Becquer Hotel, Seville based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
• Welcome reception
• Two lectures
• Two dinners with wine at a local restaurant
• Transfers, tours and entrance fees
• Andrew Spira throughout

NOT INCLUDED

• Double for sole use supplement
• Holiday insurance 
• Meals other than those stated 
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc
• Porterage and gratuities

HOTEL

Hotel Becquer, Seville

Modern, four-star hotel in the centre of the city, close to the Plaza de Toros and about 10 minutes walk from the Cathedral, housed in the old stately home of the Marquises of La Torres. Stylish and comfortable, the hotel has a bar, restaurant and very comfortable bedrooms with all modern amenities including en-suite bathroom, TV, telephone, free wifi, air-conditioning, safe and hairdryer.

Hotel Website