What to see and do in Barrio de Santa Cruz, the most charming place in Seville

The song says that Seville has something special, and if you know the Andalusian capital you will agree with me that that something special is in the Barrio de Santa Cruz.

Your walk through Barrio de Santa Cruz It will undoubtedly be one of the most rewarding moments of your visit of Seville.

It should be a walk during the day discovering its main corners, but also at night enjoying tapas in the busiest streets of bars.

Like the sister city of Cordova has its Jewish Quarter which extends from the Mosque, and where all the tourist activity is concentrated, in Sevilla something similar happens with Barrio de Santa Cruz.

In fact, the Barrio de Santa Cruz is actually the old Jewish quarter of Seville, where at the time of Ferdinand III of Castile the second most important Jewish community in Spain was concentrated after that of Toledo.

Curiosities history of the Santa Cruz neighborhood of Seville

But the historical origins of the Barrio de Santa Cruz They are from an earlier time, since already in Roman times, when Seville had the name of Híspalis, the location of the current neighborhood was the limits of the walled city.

You can see a good example of this today in one of its corners, in the Marbles Street, a place where three Roman columns from the portico of an ancient temple from the 1st century are still preserved.

In the 11th century, the Muslims built a palace with high towers, and the Christians remodeled a later palace, the result of which is the current one. Royal Alcazar of Seville.

It was after the reconquista of Seville in 1248 by the aforementioned king Ferdinand III when the Jews settled in said neighborhood, and several of the old mosques were converted into synagogues.

What to see and do in the Santa Cruz neighborhood

Now when you walk through the Santa Cruz neighborhood You will find a network of small and secluded squares, narrow streets and passages, in fact, a place to get lost.

You can do this visit by signing up for a Guided tour of the Santa Cruz neighborhood, which is done with a guide in spanish lasting one hour, during which you will get to know the main corners of the old Jewish quarter.

But if you prefer to know it on your own, below I am going to highlight the main ones. places of interest to see in the Santa Cruz neighborhood de Sevilla.

Triumph Square

You can start your walk through this charming neighborhood from the Triumph Square,

Located on the southern limit of it, it can be stated that this is the most monumental corner because in this enclave the historic buildings of the Cathedral of Sevilla with the famous Giralda, General Archive of the Indies and Alcazar.

This monumental complex has been declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco.

This square owes its name to the fact that the cathedral building was not affected by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, which also led to the installation of the monument of triumph.

Santa Marta Square

Accessing through a passage from the aforementioned Triumph Square, you can see one of those charming corners that characterize the Barrio de Santa Cruz.

Specifically, it is about the square of Santa Marta, where there is barely enough space to house four orange trees and in the center, a transept from the end of the 16th century.

The name of the square comes from an old hospital that was in this place, where there is now a small convent that is accessed through it.

Flag Court

Known as Flag Court, next to the building Alcazar There is a large square from which you can now access the most remote areas. corners of the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Precisely the visit of the aforementioned Reales Alcázares ends by leaving the Flag Court. from where you will have one of the most beautiful panoramic view of the cathedral and the Giralda.

El Flag Court It has its origins in the remodeling carried out in 1919 on the occasion of the Iberoamerican Exhibition.

This square was known by that name because many flags used to be placed to honor notable visitors of the Alcazar.

Water Street

You will also pass through the Water Street also called Water Alley, walkway (round walk that runs next to a wall) that continues next to the wall of the Reales Alcázares,

On that street you will surely be struck by the beautiful patio of the house washington irving, which you will recognize by a plaque on its façade.

Santa Cruz Square

Another corner that must be highlighted in this Sevillian neighborhood is the Holy Cross Square, where there was a church with the same name.

TOURS and EXCURSIONS in SEVILLE

- Tour of Seville + Alcázar, Cathedral, Giralda without the lines
- Private tour of Seville
- Excursion to Carmona from Seville
- Excursion to the white towns and Ronda
- Excursion to the Alhambra of Granada from Seville
- Excursion to Doñana from Seville
- Excursion to Córdoba from Seville
- Transfers in Seville

This square with several orange trees is occupied in the center by a monument from 1692, known as Locksmith Cross, which was initially installed in a central area of ​​the Sierpes street, but finally in 1921 it was moved to that place.

The original Holy Cross Church It was demolished in 1811 during the French occupation, and the parish is now located in another church with the same name located in the neighborhood.

In this church he was buried painter Murillo, which is remembered on a plaque that you can currently see installed in the square.

Don Juan Tenorio in Plaza de los Refinadores

Very close to the Santa Cruz Square, and together with the Murillo Gardens you find the Refiners Square.

It occupies a place that until the 19th century was occupied by the old wall in the section that led to the disappeared Gate of Flesh.

There you can see a monument dedicated to the literary figure of Don Juan Tenorio, which had a special connection with the Barrio de Santa Cruz.

Street of the Crosses

Another corner that stands out is the one known as street of crosses, although due to its configuration it looks more like a small square.

In the center of this corner there is a calvary with three columns culminated with iron crosses.

Mateos Gago Street

And of course in this review of places and others corners of the Santa Cruz neighborhood can't miss the Mateos Gago street, which begins behind the cathedral.

With a current configuration resulting from the expansion carried out in 1923, Mateos Gago It is a must-see when it comes to tapas in the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

In this regard, I dare to recommend to you on the corner with the Rodrigo Gago street, the always very busy Santa Cruz Las Columnas Winery, with a wide variety of excellent tapas and at a good price, although with little space.