Parque María Luisa
Once owned by Isabel II’s sister, the Infanta María Luisa, these green, open spaces to the south of the city were originally the gardens of the Palacio de San Telmo. The 17th-century palace, with its foaming Churrigueresque façade, was built as a school for navigators. Donated to the city in 1893, the gardens provided the setting for the Exposición Iberoamericana in 1929. The world’s fair was intended to improve relations with Latin America following the loss of empire, to reinvent Spanish architecture, and to modernize a decaying city. Although it opened just 6 months before the Wall Street crash, it was largely a success, and its legacy endures (compare and contrast with the rather sad legacy of Expo '92 on Isla de la Cartuja). Pavilions showcasing Spain, Portugal, and a dozen participating countries were erected in and around the park, and many still stand, serving as foreign consulates, museums, and university buildings.
The park is a tranquil place close to the city center and attracts both sevillanos and visitors to its boating ponds and flower-bordered paths. If you’re going to succumb anywhere in Spain to the temptation to take a horse and carriage tour, this is the place to do it. Expect to pay 45€ for an hour-long tour of the gardens and the city.
Once owned by Isabel II’s sister, the Infanta María Luisa, these green, open spaces to the south of the city were originally the gardens of the Palacio de San Telmo. The 17th-century palace, with its foaming Churrigueresque façade, was built as a school for navigators. Donated to the city in 1893, the gardens provided the setting for the Exposición Iberoamericana in 1929. The world’s fair was intended to improve relations with Latin America following the loss of empire, to reinvent Spanish architecture, and to modernize a decaying city. Although it opened just 6 months before the Wall Street crash, it was largely a success, and its legacy endures (compare and contrast with the rather sad legacy of Expo '92 on Isla de la Cartuja). Pavilions showcasing Spain, Portugal, and a dozen participating countries were erected in and around the park, and many still stand, serving as foreign consulates, museums, and university buildings.
The park is a tranquil place close to the city center and attracts both sevillanos and visitors to its boating ponds and flower-bordered paths. If you’re going to succumb anywhere in Spain to the temptation to take a horse and carriage tour, this is the place to do it. Expect to pay 45€ for an hour-long tour of the gardens and the city.
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