I took a slower pace today, not sure if I’m exhausted because of how busy Morocco was, or just general, but it was nice to have a lazy morning.

Seville began as an Iberian town that grew in the 2nd Century BCE under the Romans as an administrative center known as Hispanics. Eventually it fell to the Muslims and continued to flourish under various Caliphates and as the Almohad capital in the 12th century. The city came under Christian rule in 1248 when Fedrdinand III conquered the area, of course under his and Isabella’s rule, the economy fell into temporary ruin as many Moorish and Jewish people were driven into exile or murdered.

When Spain “discovered” the Americas and brought an explosion of wealth back to the country, Sevilla became the center of the exploration of the Americas for about 200 years, revealing in the exploitation of the New World.

After a bit of meandering some local shops, I wandered to the Plasa España which was build for the 1928 Iberio-American Exposition. It’s absolutely stunning.

The main attraction for my day was the Real Alcazar, or the historical palace of Seville. Archaeological evidence shows that the site was occupied as far back as 2100 BCE, but the structure as it is today is from the 11th century CE. As political rule changed, it seemed that every ruler added to it (or removed from it). Even today the royal family stays in the Alcazar when they are in Seville. I toured the “family” area but wasn’t allowed to take any pictures.

The Palace is quite large, and to be honest I got lost many times. My favorite part was just enjoying the expansive gardens.

Tomorrow is a big day with a visit to Italico, a Roman site, then a tour of the Seville Cathedral.