Seville’s famous Plaza de España monument was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, which was held in the Andalusian capital. Located in María Luisa Park, it was the centrepiece of the exhibition and featured many pavilions, which aspired to show off to the world Spain’s accomplishments in industry and architecture. The fascinating building was the brain child of Aníbal González and its magnificent structure swings around the plaza in a large semi-circle. At its center stands the spectacular fountain created by Vicente Traver. Built in the style of Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival architecture, the whole building is surrounded by a moat, in which visitors can hire boats to gently row around. Elegantly curving over the moat are four bridges, each relating to the ancient Spanish kingdoms of Castile, Navarre, Aragón and León. Their supports also boast brightly colored, painted ceramic tiles, which add an extra exquisiteness to the architecture.
Surrounding the building are 48 small pavilions, each dedicated to a province of Spain and decorated in intricately illustrated ceramic tiles (azulejos). These were used to showcase the city’s industrial and craft capabilities. Today some of the pavilions are dedicated to museums, such as the Archaeological Museum and Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares.
