Spain 2023 Sevilla Plaza de España

Plaza de España is an amazing space at the north end of the huge Parque de María Luisa in Sevilla.

We had a very pleasant stroll around, punctuated by many comfortable benches.

Designed by Aníbal González, it combines a mix of 1920s Art Deco (sleek, modern, stylized geometric forms), Spanish Renaissance Revival (extremely decorated façades), Spanish Baroque Revival (florid  decorative details) and Neo-Mudéjar styles.

Neo-Mudéjar is a Moorish revival style that uses elements such as the horseshoe arch, arabesque tiling, and abstract shaped brick ornamentations for the façades of modern buildings. Spain (especially Sevilla, it seems!) is full of buildings that use the Neo-Mudéjar as well as the Mudéjar style.

The Plaza de España complex is a huge half-circle; the buildings are accessible by four bridges over the moat, which represent the ancient kingdoms of Spain. In the centre is the Vicente Traver fountain.

Built between 1914 and 1929, in time for the IberoAmerican Exposition, the buildings house offices of the army and Spanish government. The terraces between the towers and main buildings can be accessed from the plaza, but special permission is required to visit the buildings themselves.