Things to do around Seville - Heading East
Home Things to do around Seville – Heading East
Heading east towards Carmona,
historic balcony overlooking the Sevillian countryside
Located approximately 30 km east of Seville, Carmona is one of major historical cities of Andalusia.
Built on a promontory overlooking the Sevillian campiñaIt offers a particularly clear reading of the stratification of the Andalusian territory Roman, Muslim, then Christian.
Thanks to its strategic location, Carmona was successively prosperous Roman city, stronghold of al-Andalusthen fortified city integrated into the Kingdom of Castile. Today, its historic center boasts a rich heritage, easily accessible on foot, making it a An ideal stop after a visit to Campo Bravo.
Where to have lunch in Carmona
After the excursion to Campo Bravo, Carmona constitutes a natural rest stop for lunch, in a remarkable heritage setting.
Two central options stand out:
- Around the Plaza de San Fernando
The historic heart of the city, lined with terraces, ideal for a outdoor lunch in a lively and local atmosphere. - At the Plaza de Abastos
The former covered market, now renovated, offers a simple and user-friendly offer, in connection with regional products.
These two places allow you to stay at the center of the tour route, without unnecessary travel.
A post-lunch stroll: what to see in Carmona after lunch
After having lunch on the San Fernando Square or Plaza de AbastosSeveral sites are perfectly suited for a a cultural digestive stroll, within walking distance of each other.
Carmona City Museum
Housed in a former palace, it allows one to understand thehistorical evolution of Carmonafrom prehistory to the modern era.
The monumental gates
- Gate of Seville
- Cordoba gate
Spectacular remains of the fortifications, they mark the symbolic entrance to the city and offer beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.
Alcazar of the Gate of Seville
Former fortress, now partially integrated into Carmona Parador.
It is highly recommended to do so. have a coffee, if only to enjoy the exceptional panorama of the campiña.
Plaza de Abastos
Beyond lunch, the place remains a place of life revealing of the urban and social organization of the city.
The major churches
- Iglesia de Santa Maria
- Church of St. Bartholomew
Two representative buildings of the Christian Carmonabuilt on older foundations.
Roman Carmona: amphitheater and necropolis
At the exit of the historic center is the Arqueological Conjunto of Carmona, one of the most important Roman funerary complexes in the Iberian Peninsula.
La Roman necropolis and the remains of theamphitheater allow us to understand the role of Carmona in Antiquity and its importance in the Roman urban network of Baetica.
Local tradition: the anise distillery
Carmona is also home to a tradition linked to the distillation of aniseWith the Anís Los Hermanos distillery, founded in the 19thᵉ century.
This historic house, now part of the group producing the brand Port of the Indies, testifies to a craftsmanship long linked to the local economy.
Associate the Campo Bravo à Carmona allows you to connect:
- agricultural landscapes and extensive livestock farming,
- long history of the territory,
- organization of the large estates of the campiña.
This step offers a coherent and complementary reading of inland Andalusia, ideal as part of a half-day or full day from Seville.
Heading east towards Osuna,
major historical city of inland Andalusia
Located approximately 90 km east of Seville, Osuna is one of the richest cities in terms of history and heritage Andalusian countryside.
Its origins date back more than three millennia, when the Iberian city ofUrso was inhabited by the Turdetans.
Roman and ancient Osuna
In the 1st century BC, in accordance with a political decision attributed to Julius Caesarthe city is refounded by Mark Antony across 44 and 43 BC under the official name of Colonia Genetiva Iulia, colony of Roman citizens.
Sa municipal law, known as Lex Ursonensis, constitutes one of the most important Roman legal texts preserved for Hispania; it is now partially preserved at National Archaeological Museum of Madrid.
In the 1st century AD, Pliny the Elder cites the city under the name of Colonia Genetiva Urbanorum Urso, confirming its urban and administrative status.
From the Roman world to the Middle Ages
From the 4thᵉ century, the name evolved towards Ursona, attested in the acts of Christian councils of late antiquity.
Archaeological sources suggest successive destructions linked to the Vandal, Suebian and then Visigothic invasions, a phenomenon common to the whole of Baetica.
Under Muslim rule, the city — then called Uxuna — finds a a certain urban importance during the periods Almoravid and Almohad. A fortress is built and the site is fortified.
Christian Osuna and the Golden Age Renaissance
Conquered in 1239 by the armies of Ferdinand III of CastileOsuna is entrusted to 1264 withCalatrava order, becoming a strategic point facing the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.
In the 15th century, the city came under the control of Pedro Téllez Girón, whose lineage later received the title of Dukes of Osuna under the reign of Philip II of Spain.
Osuna's peak occurred at XVIᵉ century, under the impulsion of Juan Téllez Girón,IVᵉ Count of Ureña. In the space of three decades, he transformed Osuna into a monumental, leading ensemble, with the construction of numerous churches and convents, a hospital, and theOsuna University, Collegiate and ducal pantheonOsuna then became one of the major centers of the Andalusian Renaissance.
Osuna and the history of bullfighting
Osuna occupies an often overlooked place in bullfighting history.
This is where it is written XVIIᵉ century a fundamental anonymous text known as Cartilla de Torear ou Carta de Osuna.
This document is now considered the oldest written text foreshadowing treatises on bullfighting, prior to those of Pepe-Hillo et Paquirowhich will serve as the basis for the first bullfighting regulations.
La first known mention of the muleta is traditionally attributed to this text.
Things to visit in Osuna
- Collegiate Church of Santa María de la Asunción
- Osuna bullring
- San Pedro Streetfamous for its exceptional concentration of Baroque palaces and stately homes, often described as "18th century promenade"ᵉ century
- Coto de las Canteras, nicknamed the "Petra of Andalusia", former spectacular extraction site
- La Roman necropolis, evidence of the ancient importance of the city
before leaving
Before leaving Osuna, it is advisable to try the Moroccan bizcochos du Monasterio de la Purísima Concepción, an iconic local specialty, still prepared according to convent tradition.
Combine a visit to the Campo Bravo à Osuna allows you to connect:
- extensive livestock farming and large agricultural areas,
- long history of inland Andalusia,
- historical foundations of bullfighting,
- exceptional monumental heritage.
Osuna thus constitutes a major cultural milestone, ideal for a Full day or like natural extension to the East of a stay around Seville.