Plaza de Espana Seville

Plaza de Espana Seville is as much a gathering place as a cultural landmark. Home to lush gardens, brightly colored tiled fountains and museums, this scenic corner of Seville is one of the city’s top landmarks. A short stroll from old town Seville and the heart of town, the plaza is easy to access and well worth a visit.

Like Isla Magica, Seville’s theme park, Plaza de Espana is located on the site of an international exposition. The theme park fills the space where the 1992 World’s Fair unfolded, and the plaza was the centerpiece of 1929’s Ibero-American Exposition. As was the case for both events, the promise of putting Seville on the world stage led to a lot of preparations still enjoyed today.

Before the 1929 expo much of Seville, especially the Southern part of the city, was transformed into a lush paradise of gardens and boulevards. None were bigger or more lovely than Parque de Maria Luisa, the home to Plaza de Espana. Moorish architectural elements—a nod to Seville’s history—were incorporated into the park, including tiled fountains and ornate flower beds.

Plaza de Espana Seville was built as the showcase for the technology and industry exhibits. Architect Anibal Gonzalez combined a number of styles, including the Art Deco style so popular in the day to create this lovely place. Its buildings were carefully arranged in a semi-circle around the plaza. This scenic setting has been featured in several movies, including the epic Lawrence of Arabia. Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones, also filmed here.

Today, they buildings around Plaza de Espana Seville are primary used as government buildings and museums. Seville’s town hall is here, as are the fine arts and archeological museums. Stopping for pictures is one of the most popular things to do in Seville—and a stroll through the park is a fine way to spend an afternoon after checking out the museums.