Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exposition, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution? Seville is also famous for its buildings, built for the 1929 exhibition. Today we will tell you when the famous Spanish Steps or the gardens of Maria Luisa were built.
1929 – Ibero-American Exhibition
The Ibero-American Exhibition was one part of the Spanish Universal Exhibition of 1929. The first part of it was held in Barcelona, where technical and economic achievements were presented. The part relating to culture and the arts was organised in Seville.
The event was postponed for years, not least because of the First World War, financial and political problems. The beginning of the 20th century was not only associated in Europe with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy or the fall of the Tsar. It was a time when Spain lost some of its colonies, including Cuba. Through the exhibition, the Spaniards wanted to emphasise their connectivity with their colonies.
We use the name exhibition, but in reality it was an event over large swathes of the city – streets were rebuilt, buildings erected and gardens designed especially for the occasion. You will still see traces of the 1929 exhibition in Seville today!
Great redevelopment
The Marie Louise Park was redesigned especially for the exhibition. The author of the reconstruction project was Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier. The exhibition was to occupy 1,343,200m2. In this area, pavilions designed by a number of architects were planned. The avenue de la Palmer, the Spanish Steps and three buildings in the American Square were built. Pavilions were erected, the so-called Flags, dedicated to Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Cuba, Guatemala and Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the Basque Islands, among others. There were also facilities for the Naval Command and the Expo Casino. The Expo site was entered via Isabella Castilla Avenue, leading to Spanish Square.
Gardens and palaces
To this day, you can still admire the squares and buildings that remained after the great exhibition project in 1929. Go to the gardens of Maria Luisa (also known as the Gardens of San Telmo), full of blooming flowers and with a geometric, orderly arrangement of greenery. At the edge of the gardens is the Spanish Palace, known as Little Venice. It is one of the most famous buildings in Seville, with a neo-Gothic façade and towers reminiscent of La Giralda. The benches and walls covered with azulejos tiles are beautifully presented . In front of the palace, there is a tile decoration depicting maps of all the provinces of Spain. An absolute ‘must-see’ in Seville is Plaza de España, or Spanish Square, in front of the Spanish Palace, which has formed the setting for many a film.
In the footsteps of the exhibition
Other sites and objects associated with the exhibition are: Prado de San Sebastian, Paseo de las Delicias or the equestrian statue of El Cid(El Cid Campeado, or the Cid of Valour, Castilian knight, Spanish national hero of the Reconquista era). One of the most famous hotels built during this period is the Hotel Alfonso XIII, which you can read about here.
Sunny Andalusia
It is impossible to describe all the magnificence of this most beautiful region of Spain. It is also impossible not to fall in love with Andalusia, which attracts you with its sun, its cuisine, its holiday climate. This is known to digital nomads who are looking for houses and flats to rent in Spain and also to investors who, aware of the enduring fashion for Andalusia, invest their money in real estate on the Costa del Sol. For those looking for a place to stay for a while or for a lifetime, here is a wide selection of the best luxury property deals.
