by Fiona Watson
Probably the most 'normal' area in central Seville,
Macarena is still largely working class but is gradually being gentrified.
It covers the northern area of the city, up to the old city walls,
see Murallas where abides arguably
Seville's best-loved virgin, La Macarena de la Esperanza,
known locally as La Macarena. The hit song was about one
of the many Sevillian women named after the virgin. Once the poorest
slum in Spain, it's now a characterful area with many churches to
visit, and interesting markets and plazas; although it's still quite
run-down, some of the crumbling old palaces and mansions are being
repaired.
Within this area is the Alameda, the area
surrounding the Alameda de Hercules, a broad, sandy promenade flanked
by trees built on marshland in 1574. The impressive Roman columns
at the southern end hold statues of Caesar and Hercules, possibly
governor and founder of Seville, respectively. Until five years
ago, it was seedy and dangerous with drug addicts and prostitutes.
Now it's been cleaned up but it still has an edginess to it which
has attracted plenty of trendy, alternative types as well as a large
gay community. It's a main area for nightlife,
with many bars and clubs and a lively punk and anarchist scene.
There are two markets worth visiting; the oldest
and busiest, El Jueves, is on Calle Feria every Thursday,
while there's a flea market on the Alameda itself on Thursdays and
Sundays; local lore says that if anything is stolen from you, you'll
find it for sale here. Next to the Puerta de Córdoba,
the old entrance to the barrio, is the modern Basilica de la
Macarena. Here you can see the much-venerated Virgin, made by
Luisa Roldán in the late 17th century. Her departure from
the church on Thursday night is Semana
Santa´s high point: carried on a solid silver paso and
dressed in the year's new outfit, she is greeted by ecstatic weeping
and wailing from her thousands offollowers. You'll see her golden-haloed
image in hotels, bars,
shops and taxis all over the city.
The bullfighter Joselito adored her and gave her the five emeralds
she wears. When he died, she was dressed in black in the following
Semana Santa to mourn him.
Other religious places worth mentioning include
the Monasterio de San Clemente, decorated with superb frescoes
and 16th-century azulejos and now used as an exhibition space; the
Convento de Santa Paula, the only convent in Seville which
is open to the public; and the Mudéjar-Gothic Iglesia de
San Marcos, built on the site of a mosque - note the Giralda-like
tower and horseshoe-shaped arches. For more information, see convents.
The large Renaissance building on Calle Resolana, the main
ring road that follows the old city walls, is the Hospital de
Cinco Llagas. It is now home to the Andalucian parliament. At
the end of this road is the elegant Puente de la Barqueta
(Boat Bridge), built for Expo 92 by Santiago Calatrava, which leads
to Isla de la Cartuja.
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