SEVILLA (written Seville by the English), a city of Spain, capital of the territorial division of Andalucia, of the ancieut province of Sevilla, and of the modern province of the same name, is situated in 37° 22' N. let., 5° 48' W. long., on the east bank of the Guadalquivir, 70 miles N.N.E. from Cadiz. The river is here crossed by a bridge of boats connecting the city with the suburb of Triana, and is navigable thus far for vessels of 100 tons burden, but ships drawing more than 10 feet of water load and unload 8 miles lower down. Sevilla is the see of an archbishop, the residence of a captain-general, and the seat of a criminal court of justice. The population in 1845 was 84,927.
Sevilla is surrounded by Moorish walls, which are flanked by numerous towers, and have many gates. The form is circular, and the area is about five miles. The walls are constructed of tapia, a sort of concrete made of mortar, rubble, and stones, put moist in wooden frames, where it consolidates into a block fit for building, and becomes by length of time excessively hard. The portion near the Cordova Gate affords the most perfect specimen in Spain. Walla of tapia are still constructed in the ancient manner both in Andalucia and Barbary. The streets are for the moat part exceedingly narrow, a labyrinth of lanes hardly wide enough to allow the passage of a single carriage. More than half of the city is of Moorish construction, and the best houses are still those built by the Moors or on their models. They have generally a large paved court ornamented with fountains and flowers, and surrounded by columns supporting galleries and rooms above. It is usual for the family to inhabit the ground-floor in sum mer, and the upper stories in winter. In summer a large canvass awning is drawn over the court by day, and beneath this shade tho family usually pit cud receive visitors. Of late years several new streets have been laid out in straight lines and with handsome modern houses. The Alameda Vieja, the old public walk, planted with trees, and decorated. with fountains and statues, is a spacious promenade at the north-west angle of the city. It is now however comparatively deserted for the beautiful walks called Las Delicias, formed on the bank of the river, extending southward, and planted with trees, shrubs, and flowers. Another modern promenade is called El Pasco de Christiva. The great square, near the centre of the city, formerly called the Plaza de San Francisco, but now the Plaza de in Consti tueion, is very picturesque, with its arcades and balconies. The Plaza
del Duque is the fashionable nocturnal promenade during the summer months. There are other squares, and a large Plaza de Toros (bull arena), which is capable of accommodating about 14,000 spectators.
All or nearly all the public edifices worthy of note in Sevilla stand at the southern extremity, a short distance from the river, and within sight of each other. Here are the Cathedral, the Giralda, the Alcazar, the Lonja, and (outside the wall) the royal tobacco-manufactory.
The Cathedral occupies the site of the grand mosque of the Moors. It was commenced in 1349, and was opened for divine service in 1510. It is an imposing structure, of large size and grand propor tions. It is the largest and finest cathedral in Spain. It is an oblong square, preserving the form of the original mosque ; the length is 382 feet, the width 265 feet. The exterior exhibits various styles of architecture. The walls are supported by massy buttresses. There are 93 windows, some of which are painted, and the most beautiful in Spain. The windows are profusely ornamented with mouldings and tracery. The western facade remained in an unfinished state till 1827. Four rows of enormous clustered columns, eight in each row, divide the interior into a nave and six aisles. The roof of the nave is 134 feet above the pavement. The aisles are 38 feet lower, the two exterior being railed off; and formed into chapels. The.ehoir is separated from the body of the church by a richly-wrought reja, or grating of iron. Over the entrances to the choir on each side are the two grand organs, oue of which is stated to contain 5300 pipes, and to have 110 stops, being 50 more than the stops of the great organ at Haarlem. The lletahlo of the high altar is a magnificent carving in wood. It is divided into 44 compartments. It was designed by Dancart in 1442, and oompleted in 1550. The carvings represent sacred subjects from the Bible. Behind the high altar is the Capilla Real, a large gloomy chapel, containing the tomb of Fernando III., who took the city from the Moors. The other chapels, in all about 26, contain many of the finest works of the best masters of the Sevillian school, as Murillo, Zurbaran, Rodeo, Pacheco, Cano, Morales, Vargas, Navarrete, and others.