Plaza de España

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The Plaza de España, of about 50,000 square metres, is located at the north-east end of the Maria Luisa Park. It was built by the architect Aníbal González between 1914 and 1929 on the occasion of the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition. Today it is one of the most emblematic places in Seville and one of the greatest exponents of regionalist architecture.

Its semi-elliptical shape is a symbol of the embrace between the ancient metropolis and its colonies. In addition, the building that borders it faces the Guadalquivir, the place from which the journey to America is undertaken. To visit the architectural complex of the Plaza de España is to take a walk through our country. Along the curved wings of it, there are 48 benches decorated with ceramic murals, showing some characteristic monument or a historical moment of the different Spanish provinces. There should have been 50 benches instead of 48, but when the square was built, the Canary Islands had only one province.

On the other hand, Seville is not represented along with the rest of the provinces, as it is depicted in four other murals in the square. On the 48 benches of the Plaza de España there are 48 busts representing famous figures of Spanish history, such as Quevedo or Velázquez.

This is the most seen monument of Seville in the history of cinema. It has been seen in classic films such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Wind and the Lion, or in more modern ones such as Star Wars: Attack of the Clones or The Dictator.

When the Plaza de España was built, it was planned that, after the Ibero-American Exhibition, it would house the Universidad Laboral de Sevilla. However, it finally hosted various official bodies such as the Government Delegation in Andalusia and the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation.

Labels

Aníbal González

Square

1929 Ibero-American Exhibition

Maria Luisa Park

Cinema

Regionalism