La Alameda, Seville
Encyclopedia
The Alameda de Hércules , or simply La Alameda, is a square in Seville
, southern Spain
. It was in origin a promenaded public garden built in 1574, named after the eight rows of white poplar
s trees (álamos in Spanish) that fill its central part. Located in the north half of the city's historic center, between the river Guadalquivir
and the Macarena neighborhood
, it was the oldest public garden in Spain and Europe.
river. It crossed the city center via Alameda towards Plaza Nueva, eventually ending through El Arenal
neighbourhood. After it was cut off by a damn in 1383, the river basin turned into a swampy pond fed by the aquifer and frequent rises of the river.
In 1574, the Count of Barajas further drained the water, building irrigation channels and fountains, and planting lines of river trees (white poplar
s). Four columns were placed to mark off a promenade through the trees. In the beginning, it was planned to take four collumns from the remains of the Roman temple of Mármoles street, believed to be dedicated to Hercules
. However, when moving the third collumn it broke up, leading to left the project unfinished. As a result, the two collumns at the southern head of the square are original Roman from the temple, whereas contemporary reproductions were placed on the northern collumns. As culmination of this project, two sculptures crowned the top of the two southern columns: Hercules
(mytological founder of Seville) and Julius Caesar
(referred to as the restorer of the city during Roman rule). In the second half of the eighteenth century, two additional statues of lions with shields, representing Seville
and Spain
, were placed on the northern columns.
In the late 19th century, the Alameda become a meeting point for upper-class people. It had many theaters and kiosks. However, after the Civil War
, Alameda started a progressive degradation, and became one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Seville, troubled by prostitution and drugs. According to data from 1989, the area housed up to 35 brothels.
After a shy recovering during early 21st century, public inversions by the city council totally renewed La Alameda at 2006-2008. Road traffic was limited, and a number of kiosks, benches and fountains installed. The promenade was also recovered with the plantation of many white poplar
s and European hackberry
trees. La Alameda is nowadays one of the main nightlife centers of Seville.
Despite draining infrastructures built when the early transformation of the square, La Alameda remained as one of the most floodable areas of the city until the second half of the 20th century. In this way, during 1649 Great Plague
it was reported that the Alameda was so flooded that people crossed the square on boats. Nowadays, changes in the river-channel system of the Guadalquivir
river, as well as the installation of a huge underground cystern to retain stormwater, contributed to avoid new flooding events in this area.
At its western side it is found the Casa de las Sirenas (literally mermaid's house) a 19th-century French-inspiration palace that is used today as a civic center hosting expositions, workshops, classes, and cultural activities for the neighborhood.
Placed at the northern end, the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Carmen y Cruz del Rodeo is an important landmark in the neighbourhood. It was an important source of inspiration for the José Zorrilla's Don Juan Tenorio
version, since here is placed the convent where the saintly Doña Inés is cloistered.
Also quite close to the Alameda on the street dedicated to the restorer of La Alameda, the Count of Barajas (Conde de Barajas), it is located the house where the romantic writer Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
was born.
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was in origin a promenaded public garden built in 1574, named after the eight rows of white poplar
White Poplar
Populus alba, commonly called abele, silver poplar, silverleaf poplar, or white poplar, is a species of poplar, most closely related to the aspens . It is native from Spain and Morocco through central Europe to central Asia...
s trees (álamos in Spanish) that fill its central part. Located in the north half of the city's historic center, between the river Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
and the Macarena neighborhood
Macarena, Seville
La Macarena is the traditional and historical name of the area of Seville located north of the city center. Nowadays, La Macarena is the name of the neighborhood placed on both sides of the north city wall, but also a much bigger administrative district of Seville. - Etymology of the toponym...
, it was the oldest public garden in Spain and Europe.
History
Before its urban transformation, the Alameda square was a fragment of the easternmost branch of the GuadalquivirGuadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
river. It crossed the city center via Alameda towards Plaza Nueva, eventually ending through El Arenal
El Arenal, Seville
El Arenal is a neighborhood in the historical center of Seville, lying between the Guadalquivir and the old Jewish Quarter, Santa Cruz, to the east. Its name comes from the sandy nature that this east bank of the river once used to have...
neighbourhood. After it was cut off by a damn in 1383, the river basin turned into a swampy pond fed by the aquifer and frequent rises of the river.
In 1574, the Count of Barajas further drained the water, building irrigation channels and fountains, and planting lines of river trees (white poplar
White Poplar
Populus alba, commonly called abele, silver poplar, silverleaf poplar, or white poplar, is a species of poplar, most closely related to the aspens . It is native from Spain and Morocco through central Europe to central Asia...
s). Four columns were placed to mark off a promenade through the trees. In the beginning, it was planned to take four collumns from the remains of the Roman temple of Mármoles street, believed to be dedicated to Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
. However, when moving the third collumn it broke up, leading to left the project unfinished. As a result, the two collumns at the southern head of the square are original Roman from the temple, whereas contemporary reproductions were placed on the northern collumns. As culmination of this project, two sculptures crowned the top of the two southern columns: Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
(mytological founder of Seville) and Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
(referred to as the restorer of the city during Roman rule). In the second half of the eighteenth century, two additional statues of lions with shields, representing Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, were placed on the northern columns.
In the late 19th century, the Alameda become a meeting point for upper-class people. It had many theaters and kiosks. However, after the Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, Alameda started a progressive degradation, and became one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Seville, troubled by prostitution and drugs. According to data from 1989, the area housed up to 35 brothels.
After a shy recovering during early 21st century, public inversions by the city council totally renewed La Alameda at 2006-2008. Road traffic was limited, and a number of kiosks, benches and fountains installed. The promenade was also recovered with the plantation of many white poplar
White Poplar
Populus alba, commonly called abele, silver poplar, silverleaf poplar, or white poplar, is a species of poplar, most closely related to the aspens . It is native from Spain and Morocco through central Europe to central Asia...
s and European hackberry
Celtis australis
Celtis australis, commonly known as the European nettle tree, Mediterranean hackberry, lote tree, or honeyberry, is a deciduous tree that can grow 20 or 25 meters in height....
trees. La Alameda is nowadays one of the main nightlife centers of Seville.
Despite draining infrastructures built when the early transformation of the square, La Alameda remained as one of the most floodable areas of the city until the second half of the 20th century. In this way, during 1649 Great Plague
Great Plague of Seville
The Great Plague of Seville was a massive outbreak of disease in Spain that killed up to a quarter of Seville's population.Unlike the plague of 1596–1602 which claimed 600,000 to 700,000 lives, or a little under 8% of the population, and initially struck northern and central Spain and Andalusía in...
it was reported that the Alameda was so flooded that people crossed the square on boats. Nowadays, changes in the river-channel system of the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
river, as well as the installation of a huge underground cystern to retain stormwater, contributed to avoid new flooding events in this area.
Monuments and buildings
Apart from the Roman collumns that head the promenade, some other interesting features are placed in La Alameda.At its western side it is found the Casa de las Sirenas (literally mermaid's house) a 19th-century French-inspiration palace that is used today as a civic center hosting expositions, workshops, classes, and cultural activities for the neighborhood.
Placed at the northern end, the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Carmen y Cruz del Rodeo is an important landmark in the neighbourhood. It was an important source of inspiration for the José Zorrilla's Don Juan Tenorio
Don Juan
Don Juan is a legendary, fictional libertine whose story has been told many times by many authors. El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra by Tirso de Molina is a play set in the fourteenth century that was published in Spain around 1630...
version, since here is placed the convent where the saintly Doña Inés is cloistered.
Also quite close to the Alameda on the street dedicated to the restorer of La Alameda, the Count of Barajas (Conde de Barajas), it is located the house where the romantic writer Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Gustavo Adolfo Domínguez Bastida, better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, was a Spanish post-romanticist writer of poetry and short stories, now considered one of the most important figures in Spanish literature. He adopted the alias of Bécquer as his brother Valeriano Bécquer, a painter, had...
was born.