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| Oranges |
Gardens in Seville CITY
The oldest garden remaining in Seville city is the Patio de Los Naranjos (Orange Tree Patio) it was once part of the old mosque, where the worshippers washed their hands and feet in the fountains before prayer. The patio can now be visited as part of the Seville Cathedral.
Also of the same period is the garden in the Casa de Contratacion in the centre of the city. It has been restored with the addition of some handsome American palm trees.
REALES ALCAZARES
Seville's royal palace, the Reales Alcázares has a host of beautifully landscaped gardens:
Mudejar gardens are found in the Patio de Dona Maria de Padilla, Patio del Yeso and the La Galera.
There are also Renaissance gardens such as La Danza, Las Damas and those surrounding the pavilion of Charles V, with its myrtle and cypress maze and a remarkable specimen of the floss-silk tree (Chorisia speciosa).
The English landscaped garden found here dates from the beginning of the century.
There is also the garden of Poets and Vega Inclan with the Gingko bilobas and the Tabebuia.
See also an example of a closed garden, which is found in the tower of Don Fadrique, which was built over old orchards.
The Garden of Las Delicias is a romantic garden with good examples of the Phoenix reclinata palm tree and many Citrus myrtifolia - moorish orange trees. In the Cristina gardens and the Casa Rosa there is an avenue of Cycas revoluta.
20th Century Gardens
A new style of garden was created at the beginning of the 20th century with Hispano-Arabic inspiration. Visit the spacious Maria Luisa park, which was designed mostly by Jean Nicolas Forestier with large trees.
See the Murillo gardens on Calle de Menendez Pelayo adjacent to the outer wall of the Reales Alcázares.
The are also gardens worth seeing on the Catalina de Ribera Avenue.
Also built during this century are the gardens of La Lonja and the Old Tobacco factory (now university) and the Paseo de la Palmera.
Modern day Gardens
The present day gardens include the park of Los Principes and the Isla de la Cartuja that includes the modern gardens laid out for the great Expo 92 world fair. These include the gardens of the Guadalquivir which represent a summary of the history of gardening, and the American garden which features with useful plants that originate in the Americas.
Plazas and Patios
The squares and patios of urban Seville are also good examples of urban gardens. Plaza del Cristo de Burgos and El Museo have some fine examples of Ficus dealbata. The Plaza del Duque has gigantic fir trees (Grevilla robusta). In the Plaza San Leandro stands a handsome Ficus retusa (Indies laurel) and in the Plaza Santa Cruz there is a Feijoa sellowiana.
The best patios are found in the Barrio de Santa Cruz. You can visit also the Hospital de los Venerables where there is a pretty sunken patio and central fountain.
The most interesting Palace gardens are found in the Casa de Pilatos and Las Dueñas.