Some history of Seville

Seville, the capital of Andalusia, reflects a rich part of exchange and diversity. Meeting point of culture, the city still has an incredible architectural heritage which gives her an incomparable beauty and charm. One popular proverb says "Quien no ha visto Sevilla, no ha visto maravilla" (if you have not seen Seville, you have not seen wonders).

Muslim heritage

The Spanish culture seems to be impregnated with a deep heritage, the fruit of Muslim occupation and cohabitation dating from the 8th century. Indeed, the North African Moors has been seizing the Spanish Peninsula from 711. Seville became then the capital of the Almohades realm.

Christian Spain

Nevertheless, the northern Christian progressively regained possession of the lost territories; it was the Reconquista, a movement to drive out the Muslim which ended in 1492 with the fall of the last Muslim bastion in Grenada at the hands of the catholic kings.

The golden age

That same year, Christopher Columbus discovered America and opened the way for the Conquistadors to give the country a vast colonial empire. Thanks to the riches of the New World Spain became the largest power in Europe under the reign of the Habsburg Empire in the 16th century.

Decline

This peak came to an end during the 18th century as the country experienced much political instability and progressively lost her colonies. This period of conflict reached a pinnacle with the French occupation under Napoleon 1st, which gave rise to a war of Liberation in the form of particularly bloody guerrilla warfare. Very weakened, Spain lost most of her colonies. Cuba, the Philippines, Costa Rica and Guam were the last to separate from the crown in 1898 after the war with the United States of America.

Francoism

Barely out of the chaos of guerrilla wars on either side when another civil war broke out from 1936 to 1939, between the Republicans and the Spanish Nationalists led by General Franco. The latter achieved victory and put in place a dictatorship which plunged Spain into total isolation, with so much opposition to the plan for social and economic change.

Democracy

On the death of General Franco in November 1975 the King of Spain, Juan Carlos 1st set up a process of Spanish style democracy which materialized in 1978 with the adoption of the new Constitution. Then, in 1982, Seville became the Capital of the Andalusia Region.

Membership of the EU

Spain quickly liberalised and joined the EEC in 1986. Thus her membership has led to a rapid raising of Spanish living standards thanks in particular to the subsidies from which she benefited hugely. In this way Spain has made up for her economic lateness and become one of the major states in the EU. For example, the Tram in Seville was funded by the EU.

Economic Development

The country marked a final return to the European culture with the organisation of the 1992 Universal Exhibition in Seville. Under the motto “The Age of Discovery, the Expo 92 (held on the Isla de la Cartuja) welcomed a large number of visitors (42 millions) from all over the world to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.

European Summit

From the 21st to the 22nd of June 2002, Seville hosted the European Summit with immingration regulations as the main topic.

EADS A400M

The test flight of the Airbus A400M military aircraft will be done in the Seville plant of EADS Spain where it has been assembled (near San Pablo Airport).

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