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Seville is located in the Southeast of Spain. A provincial capital, it is the seat of the government and parliament of the Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía (Regional Government). It has more than 700,000 inhabitants, nearly half the population of the whole province.
The city of Seville is located on the plain of the Guadalquivir River which crosses the city from north to south.
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The river can be navigated from Seville all the way to its outlet near Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the Atlantic coast. In the past the port of Seville played an important role in commerce between Spain and the Americas and remains today one of the most active river ports of the Iberian peninsula. The Tartessians were the original founders of Hispalis. Next to this settlement, in 207 B.C., the Romans built Itálica. It was the centre of their Western Mediterranean dominions for seven centuries until the Roman empire was overrun by northern barbarians at the beginning of the 10th century.
The long Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula left indelible traces in Seville as in all of Al-Andalus. La Giralda, the tower of an important mosque, is the most well-known of the remaining Islamic monuments.
In 1492 Seville played an important role in the discovery and conquest of America. The city also assumed an important role in world literature and was the birthplace of the myth of Don Juan.
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In 'Semana Santa' (March - April) there is movement of people throughout the region. The 'Cofradías' (Fraternities) and thousands of Sevillians flow through the streets of the city in penitence. A public and multitudinous catechism is performed in the streets around the sacred images of the brotherhoods, whose 'pasos' (floats) represent the distinct stages of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
'La Feria de abril' as indicated takes place in April. Just after 'Semana Santa', the Sevillians start preparing this fair. There are thousands of individual 'casetas' (tents) competing to obtain a prize for the nicest tent. They are adorned with lanterns, paper flowers, light bulbs, photographs, bars, paintings, mirror, lamps and other decorations.
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