In class we learned about the Romans, Visigodos and Musulmanes--all civilizations that had been in Spain and Sevilla. For our field trip we ventured out to see some examples of Roman houses in Sevilla.
1st Stop---Las Cetas---In Seville there is a modern building that everyone calls Las Cetas or the Mushrooms because that is exactly what it looks like!
Las Cetas are surrounded by normal looking Sevilla---old houses/apartments and churches. It used to be the location of a market that went out of business in the 70's. When people went to construct on the land later on, they found a ton of Roman ruins under the streets of the city! So now if you go down, the ruins have been preserved. Also, the main level is a market. Then you can climb to the top for some amazing views.
Here is what the museum looks like. You can walk all around and see what a Roman town looked like. I found it interesting that the museum had such a modern feel, but the ruins are from around the third and fourth century--even the first!
Plazas were very common in Roman homes--that is what is in the middle of this picture. You can also see some columns. The mosaics were often on the floors of Roman houses--they showed that the family living there had slaves, because slaves were the ones who created them.
Here is a close up of the mosaics. They still had their original coloring.
After going underground to the ruins, we took an elevator up top where of course there is a bar with tapas! Here are some views:
It was the first day waking up with no sun in Sevilla, but by the time we reached the top the weather had cleared so we got some decent shots. In this direction is the centro de Sevilla. You can see the very tip of the cathedral on the left of the picture, just over the Cetas
Here is my attempt at a panoramic shot---I will be returning to this place on a morning with less fog for sure!
This is a view of more of the outskirts of Sevilla---still haven't explored this area but I will have to as part of my class for the next 2 weeks.
After seeing the Roman influences in Sevilla, we went to la Plaza del Salvador to see the first Mosque (mesquita) that was built in Sevilla. When the Muslims invaded, they first made Córdoba their capital--hence the famous Mesquita de Córdoba--and after Córdoba, Sevilla was the capital. The Mosque that we went to was build when Córdoba was the capital, so it is more simple. The only part that remains of the Mosque is the patio--the church that now stands in its place was built when the Catholics took over, destroying the Mosque in the process.
Here is the church in la Plaza del Salvador. Right across from it there were people drinking beers during their siesta
Inside the church is the Patio de Los Naranjas--or Oranges. It is hard to see, but the columns that are still along the walls are from the Mosque. They appear to be very short, but when they were build they extended much higher---they appear short now because the streets/level of the city has risen. There is a window in the corner on on the floor where you can peek down and see the rest of the columns. They continue for about another 12 meters.
Here is another view of the patio
What a lovely morning---now I'm off to have a tour of Triana. Our guides are going to bring us around our neighborhood and show us churches, shops, gyms and places with free WiFi--in Spain they pronounce this like "Wee-Fee"
Hasta luego
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