If Seville doesn’t already make you feel like a princess, you can complete the sensation by taking a break in one the most beautiful city parks in Europe. The María Luisa Park in Seville is not only the perfect hideaway in the very heart in the city; it is also the former home of a princess, and the current home to a stunning collection of beautiful buildings from the end of the 1920s. The park was named after the Duchess of Monpensier, Princess María Luisa de Orleans, who partly donated the ground of her home, the Palacio de San Telmo, to the city in 1893.
Then, when the city of Seville was redirecting the Gudalquivir and building their new port and factories, the Sevilleños decided the host the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929. Landscaped by Jean-Claude Forestier, the large green area now served as grounds for the international expo and with an energetic burst, the entire southern end of the city was turned into grand boulevards and charming gardens. The center is this Parque, with its flower beds, ponds, hidden bowers, Mediterranean pines and the paradisiacal avenue of palms and orange trees. The countries participating in the Expo included Latin American countries and other associated nations like Portugal and Morocco, and each built a pavilion for their exhibitions. This resulted in an amazing collection of beautiful buildings, as each built edifice is based on their home country’s local architectural heritage. The barroco-sevillano style Plaza de España, the Hotel Alfonso XII and the mudéjar revival stylistic Pabellón Mudéjar are the buildings that Seville itself contributed to the international mixture of buildings. The Expo in 1929 was meant to bring Andalucía and the city of Seville back on the global map, but since it coincided with the Great Depression that same year and the year that followed, it was sadly only somewhat a success.
Seville was left, however, with one of the loveliest parks in Europe and an amazing international collection of buildings that now serve as museums or consulates. And the Royal Tobacco Factory, which is now part of the university, is also nearby.
With its gorgeous Art Deco buildings, charming fountains sculptures scattered throughout the whole park, leady shade trees, ponds and lakes, the María Luisa Park is the perfect getaway for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Here, you will find the Sevillians jogging or walking, seating on a blanket with a nice picnic or playing guitar. And if you are lucky, you might even spot a white pigeon – those were a gift by the Philippine people for the 1929 Expo.
Feel like relaxing in paradise? Look at our apartments in Seville to get started!
