Category Archives: Guide of Seville

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CHURCH OF SAINT SEBATIAN

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The church of San Sebastián is a Gothic-Mudejar temple originally built between the 15th and 16th centuries as a hermitage on the outskirts of the city. It has undergone profound transformations throughout its history, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries, in relation to the appearance of the Porvenir neighbourhood around it. It has a rectangular floor plan divided into three naves by pointed arches. The area of ​​the presbytery and the sacramental chapel stand out from the floor plan, at the head of the Epistle nave. The church is the headquarters of the Hermandad de la Paz, which processes on Palm Sunday.

History

The origin of the church is a hermitage that was built on this site at the end of the Middle Ages in honour of San Sebastián, a saint who was asked for intercession in the event of epidemics. In the 19th century, the first cemetery outside the city walls was built near the hermitage. It should be remembered that for most of our history, burials took place in churches or in their surrounding areas, with the consequent health problems that this practice entailed. There are two drawings by the English traveller Richard Ford made in 1831 in which the cemetery and the primitive hermitage appear. The cemetery of San Sebastián lost importance after the construction of the municipal cemetery of San Fernando in 1852 and ten years later its demolition would begin, as recalled by an inscription at the foot of a cross that is currently located in front of the church as a commemorative monument. After the cemetery disappeared, a reform of the old hermitage was undertaken. It was probably at this time, in the mid-19th century, when the current presbytery was added, since it is known that there was originally a Gothic style one and the current one is covered by a hemispherical dome in the Baroque style.

From the beginning of the 20th century, with the preparations for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, the creation of the Porvenir neighbourhood in the area of ​​the old hermitage was accelerated, with the result that the temple was reformed several times, as it gained importance as an auxiliary to the parish of San Bernardo.

In 1939 the Hermandad de la Paz was founded with headquarters in this church, which entailed new reforms, such as the opening of the south doorway for the exit of the floats or the construction of the brotherhood house, built under the direction of Rafael Arévalo y Carrasco in 1941. In 1956 the church was definitively established as a parish and has come down to our days consolidated as the centre of religious life in the neighbourhood.

Outside

On the outside, the church is surrounded by annex buildings, with only the south and east façades remaining free. On the south side, the buttresses supporting the walls can be seen and it has a simple doorway in the area closest to the head. It was opened in 1940 to allow passage through and is made up of a simple semicircular arch framed by a moulding of exposed brick. To the right of the door is a beautiful ceramic altarpiece with the Christ of Victory, made by Alfonso Magüesín de la Rosa in 1989. In the background there is a landscape in which the silhouette of the Plaza de España can be distinguished. The ceramic altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin is very close, next to the entrance to the fenced area around the church. It was made by Antonio Morilla Galea in 1977 and it highlights the beautiful contrast between the whiteness of the figure of the Virgin and the black background.

The main façade is the one facing east, at the foot of the church. In its centre we find a magnificent Mudejar doorway, probably built in the 15th century. It is formed by a pointed arch, framed by a structure that stands out from the rest of the façade, built from rows of bricks in alternating colours. It is very beautiful despite its simplicity and is clearly related to other similar doors that we find in Seville, such as that of the church of the convent of Santa Paula or that of the chapel of Santa María de Jesús. Above the door we find the coat of arms of the Cathedral, the Giralda between two jars of lilies, a symbol of the patronage of the cathedral chapter. This emblem does not appear in Richard Ford's drawing of 1831, so it must have been added later.

At the top of the façade there are three oculi, one in the centre and two on the sides, which serve to illuminate each of the naves. On the left stands a simple bell gable, with a single bell and topped with a curved pediment.

Interior

Inside, the space is divided into three naves, with the central one wider and higher than the side ones. Large pointed arches resting on cruciform pillars separate the naves. Another large pointed arch separates the central nave from the presbytery, like a triumphal arch. Most of the walls are plastered in white, with the area of ​​the pillars imitating ashlar and leaving the brickwork on the arches exposed. A 20th-century tiled plinth with geometric shapes runs throughout the interior. The roof is covered by wooden coffered ceilings in the neo-Mudejar style, with a pair and knuckle in the central nave and hanging in the side ones.

From the rectangular space formed by the naves, three spaces stand out at the head. The presbytery is located in the centre, the sacristy at the head of the right nave and the chapel occupied by the Brotherhood of Peace at the head of the Gospel nave.

The presbytery is a quadrangular space covered by a hemispherical dome on pendentives that is not visible from the outside of the temple. In all probability, it was originally covered by a pointed vault, as occurs in most of the Gothic-Mudejar churches in the city. The current dome must have been built during the reforms undertaken in the 19th century. The walls are decorated with contemporary paintings with geometric motifs, plants, fake architecture and angels. The pendentives follow the tradition of serving as a support to accommodate the Evangelists, who are represented by their symbols.

The altarpiece is in neo-baroque style, made in the 20th century. It is divided into three sections and two horizontal bodies. In the main niche we find a magnificent sculpture of the Virgin and Child, known as the Virgin of the Meadow. It was made by Jerónimo Hernández around 1577 and is an outstanding example of Renaissance sculpture in the city. The Child Jesus appears blessing with a sweet gesture while the Virgin holds a pear in her right hand. It should be remembered that this image acted as patron and protector of market gardeners and country people in this area of ​​Seville.

On the side streets are the sculptures of San Pedro and San Roque. In the centre of the second body is San Sebastián, the patron saint of the temple, flanked by San Jacinto and Santo Domingo de Guzmán. All the sculptures seem to be original from the 18th century, although they were probably re-painted later.

Other sculptures and paintings are displayed on the walls of the naves. One of the most notable is a carving of the Immaculate Conception from the 18th century, which presides over a stucco altarpiece in neoclassical style. There are also some carvings from the 20th century, such as the Sacred Heart, which presides over a neo-Baroque altarpiece. Among the paintings, we find several copies of originals by Murillo and some other Baroque paintings, such as the "Martyrdom of Saint Lucy" (Francisco Varela, c. 1637), the "Annunciation" or the "Marriage of the Virgin". From the same period there are representations of various saints, such as Saint Lawrence, Saint Agnes or Saint Sebastian, and an interesting "Virgin of Guadalupe", a copy of the Mexican original made by Antonio Torres in 1740.

As we said, at the head of the left nave is the sacramental chapel, where the titular images of the Hermandad de la Paz are worshipped. The chapel is covered by a groin vault with a lantern in the centre and presided over by a neo-baroque altarpiece. In the centre we find Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Victoria, a sculpture made by Antonio Illanes Rodríguez in 1940. It forms part of a float in which Jesus is seen taking the cross to carry it on the way to Calvary, although when it is in its chapel the image is logically shown without the cross. On the left is the image of María Santísima de la Paz, made in 1939 also by Antonio Illanes, who is said to have been inspired for the face of the image by the facial features of his wife, Isabel Salcedo. When it comes to the procession, the image stands out for the white and silver tones of its float, both in the canopy and in the figure of the Virgin herself. This whiteness is a clear sign of the devotion to Peace and creates a very unique and iconic image during Holy Week in Seville. The same artist also made the sculpture of Saint John that occupies the niche on the right of the altarpiece.

CHURCH OF SAINT JULIAN

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The church of San Julián is a Gothic-Mudejar temple, built mostly in the 14th century, although with important subsequent modifications. It is the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Hiniesta, which takes part in the procession on Palm Sunday.

It has a rectangular floor plan and three naves, separated by pointed arches resting on pillars. The polygonal head, where the presbytery is located, stands out from the floor plan.

As it has survived to this day, the church is the result of a reconstruction carried out in the mid-20th century, as it was almost completely destroyed in a deliberate fire in 1932. At the end of that same century, the temple was completely restored to replace its roofs, which were in a ruinous state.

History

The church is one of the parish churches of the group of Gothic-Mudejar churches in Seville, built mainly in the northern area of ​​the historic centre between the 13th and 15th centuries. They all share a very similar structure and style and form a typological ensemble of extraordinary interest and beauty.

In the case of San Julián, it is known that it was built in the first half of the 14th century, dedicated to this saint who suffered martyrdom at the beginning of the 4th century together with his wife Basilisca, probably in Antinóopolis (Egypt).

The temple has undergone important modifications throughout its history. In the 17th century, the bell tower and the chapel on the left side occupied by the Brotherhood of the Hiniesta were added. The most complicated moments occurred in April 1932, when the church suffered an intentional fire that almost completely destroyed it. All its roofs and most of its movable heritage were lost, including the titular images of the Brotherhood. In 1989 it had to be closed again until 1994, given the poor condition of its roofs.

 

Outside

San Julián has two exterior doors, one at the foot and another on the left side, although the second is unfinished and has survived to this day flanked by a brick structure that was to serve as support for a door that was never built. The main door is at the foot and has the classic ogival, flared shape, framed by an alfiz that stands out from the rest of the façade. It has very simple and somewhat rough sculptural decoration, although the high degree of erosion of the stone makes it difficult to assess its original appearance. The arch is decorated on the outside by a moulding with zigzag motifs and another with diamond points. The capitals of the small columns on both sides have plant decoration of vine leaves, which continues outwards under the impost line. Around the entrance arch there are three small sculptures under Gothic canopies. According to art historian Rafael Cómez, the one at the top represents Christ as a judge, the one on the left represents Saint Julian the Bishop and the one on the right represents Saint Julian the Hospitaller. Confusions between saints have been common throughout history and elements of different saints have often been attributed to others with the same name or their characteristics have been different depending on the territory. (Rafael Cómez Ramos, "Iconología de la arquitectura religiosa bajomedieval en Sevilla: la iglesia de San Julián").

At the top there are a series of modillions decorated with lion heads, between which there are a series of horseshoe arches engraved in the stone. The lions symbolised, among other things, royal authority, and we find them in other Sevillian doorways from the same period, such as in San Esteban or in Santa Ana de Triana.

Above the doorway there are three oculi with diamond-shaped moulding, one larger at the top and two, somewhat smaller, one on each side.

The decoration of this façade is completed by two ceramic altarpieces dedicated to the titulars of the Hermandad de la Hiniesta, which are located on both sides of the doorway. On the left is the one of the Virgin, made by Antonio Kierman Flores in the Santa Ana factory in 1962. On the right we find the Christ of the Good Death and it was made in 1994 by Emilio Sánchez Palacios in his family workshop, Cerámica Macarena.

On the right-hand side, facing Duque Cornejo Street, we find another ceramic altarpiece with the same authorship and date as that of Christ. On this occasion it is dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary, the titular of her own brotherhood, also based in this temple.

From this same side, the bell tower that stands next to the head of the church is visible. It has a square floor plan, with the body of the bells decorated by simple pilasters, and is topped by a hexagonal spire with ceramic decoration in white and blue.

Inside

The interior of the temple today is the result of the reconstructions that had to be carried out during the 20th century, although an attempt was made to recreate the original appearance as far as possible. The naves are covered by 20th century wooden coffered ceilings in the neo-Mudejar style, while the apse is covered by a ribbed vault that follows the Gothic model. This difference in the type of covering between the naves and the presbytery is very common in the Gothic-Mudejar churches of Seville. The walls are covered by tiled plinths with geometric motifs, also following models that come from the Middle Ages.

In the area of ​​the presbytery, the current altarpiece is the result of a reconstruction from fragments of altarpieces from the 17th and 18th centuries. This is because the previous one was lost in the fire of 1932. In the central niche, the image of Our Lady of the Glorious Hiniesta is worshipped, an image made in 1945 by Antonio Castillo Lastrucci to replace the original Gothic one, also destroyed in the fire. This devotion to the Hiniesta has a very interesting origin and is deeply rooted in the city, to the point that it is officially the patron saint of the City Council of Seville. Professor Francisco S. Ros González tells the legend thus:

…the Catalan knight, Father Per de Tous, was hunting in the mountains of his land one day at the end of the 14th century when his goshawk became paralysed in front of the gorse bushes where the partridges he was pursuing had taken refuge. Surprised by the bird’s behaviour, the knight dismounted from his horse, looked into the undergrowth and discovered an image of the Virgin with the Child in her arms with an inscription at her feet that, in the Latin version by Ortiz de Zúñiga, read: «Sum Hispalis de sacello ad portam quæ ducit ad Corduvam» («I am from Seville, from a chapel next to the gate that leads to Córdoba»). From the text it was deduced that the image was one of those that had been hidden during the Muslim invasion to prevent its desecration and that it had miraculously been preserved intact through the centuries despite being out in the open. Per de Tous took the image to Seville and placed it in the parish church of San Julián, as it was the temple closest to the door in the city walls leading to Córdoba at that time. The fact that the image of the Virgin was found hidden in some broom bushes led to it being called Santa María de la Hiniesta.

(Francisco S. Ros Gonzáles, “La Virgen de la Hiniesta de Sevilla y el movimiento concepcionista”. Universidad de Sevilla, 2005)

On either side we find two anonymous paintings from the 18th century, the one on the left with the Immaculate Conception and the one on the right with Saint Beatrice de Silva, founder of the Order of the Immaculate Conception. Above the paintings, two niches contain small carvings. The one on the left represents Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, while the one on the right could be Saint Therese of Lisieux. Above the central niche, in the upper part of the altarpiece, we find another anonymous painting from the 18th century with Saint Francis Solano. Above it, a small relief with the Immaculate Conception (17th century).

Also in the area of ​​the presbytery, two curious lampstands from around 1672 stand out. Fortunately they were saved from the fire of 1932 and from them hangs a splendid collection of eight silver lamps from the 16th and 17th centuries.

 

Left Nave

If we begin to describe the walls of the church at the foot of the left nave, the first thing we find is a carving of Saint Joseph with the Child, an anonymous work from the 18th century. Nearby is a ceramic panel in blue tones with the representation of the Baptism of Christ. It is a recreation of the exceptional canvas with the same theme that Murillo painted for the chapel of San Antonio in the cathedral of Seville. The ceramic altarpiece was made by Rafael Cantanero Mesón at the Mensaque Factory in Triana around 1920.

Continuing towards the apse we find a curious altarpiece - pedestal in neo-baroque style, formed by plant motifs. It houses a beautiful carving of Saint Angela of the Cross, a contemporary work by Ricardo Rivera.

The next altarpiece is also contemporary and is made of gilded plaster. It houses an image of the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal, made by Castillo Lastrucci around 1945.

Continuing towards the head, the next altarpiece is also modern and very sober, but it houses one of the great artistic jewels of this temple. It is a carving of the Immaculate Conception, made in the first third of the 17th century and attributed to Alonso Cano. It has notable similarities with works by Martínez Montañés and, in fact, it has sometimes been attributed to him, given its resemblance to sculptures such as the famous "Cieguita" of the cathedral of Seville. Alonso Cano was training with the master Montañés and it is normal that he reproduced his models.

Finally, at the head of the Gospel nave we find a neo-Gothic altarpiece with the dressed image of the Virgin of the Rosary. The image is the title of its own brotherhood of glory and was made in 1937 by José Rodríguez Fernández-Andes.

Right Nave

At the head of the right nave is the sacramental chapel, where the image of Our Lady of the Sorrowful Hiniesta, the titular of the Brotherhood of the Hiniesta, is worshipped. It is the third image with this purpose that the Brotherhood has. The first was a baroque Virgin of the Sorrowful from the 17th century, attributed to Martínez Montañés, which was lost in the fire of 1932. To replace it, Castillo Lastrucci made a new Virgin of the Hiniesta, which was destroyed in the fire of San Marcos in 1936, since at that time the Brotherhood was based in this parish. The current one was also made by Castillo in 1937 to replace the missing sculpture that he himself had made.

Next to the sacramental chapel, on the epistle wall, a simple arcosolium houses the Most Holy Christ of the Good Death, also the titular of the Hiniesta. It is an imposing crucified figure of 1.76 m. Also made by Castillo Lastrucci in 1938, replacing the original by Felipe de Ribas that disappeared in the fire.

Continuing a little towards the feet, on a pedestal is the sculpture of the Magdalene that Castillo made in 1944 and that accompanies Christ in his procession.

This sculptor so closely linked to the Brotherhood is buried precisely in this church. We find his funerary monument in this same nave of the Epistle. Above it is the sculptural group of the Pietà, which the sculptor made in 1949. On the plaque at the foot of the tomb you can read “Here beneath his most beloved images rests the most illustrious Mr. Antonio Castillo Lastrucci 1882-1967”.

 

CAPILLA DEL MAYOR DOLOR (VIRGIN OF THE GREATEST PAIN)

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The chapel of the Mayor Dolor is a small 18th century temple located in the Plaza de Molviedro, which is why it is sometimes known as the Molviedro chapel. Today it is the headquarters of the Hermandad de Jesús Despojado, which processes on Palm Sunday.

The area where the chapel is located was known since the Middle Ages as the Laguna or Compás de la Laguna, since it was an unbuilt area within the walled enclosure in which an extension of water of this type was formed. It was also the area where the brothel was historically located, very close to the port, as is usual. This brothel was separated from the rest of the city by a wall, so the area of ​​the Compás was wedged between the city wall and this wall.

Very close to the current chapel there was a more modest hermitage, where a brotherhood dedicated to the Holy Cross and Our Lady of the Greatest Sorrow was based. The wrought iron cross on a marble column that is now in the square recalls the location of this primitive hermitage.

The chapel that has survived to this day was built in the second half of the 18th century, within the framework of the general urbanisation that took place in this area of ​​the city. Manuel Prudencio de Molviedro, a merchant from Viana settled in Seville, took over a large part of the neighbourhood and began its redevelopment during the mandate of Pablo de Olavide (1767-1776). Within this transformation, Manuel Prudencio promoted and financed the construction of the chapel, which would be consecrated in 1779. Since 1856 the old Plaza del Compás de la Laguna was renamed Plaza de Molviedro in honour of this Navarrese benefactor.

In 1956, the chapel was ceded to the Congregation of the Claretians, who in turn ceded it to the Brotherhood of Jesús Despojado in 1982.

 

Outside

The chapel has a rectangular floor plan with a single nave. It only has one façade on the outside, the one at the foot, which opens onto the square. It is very simple in composition. A large lintelled opening, framed by pilasters and covered by a split triangular pediment. In the centre of the pediment there is a second body, this time topped by a curved pediment, framing a window. In the upper part of the façade there is a simple but elegant belfry, with a single bell and also topped by a curved pediment. On both sides of the façade there are ceramic altarpieces dedicated to Jesús Despojado and to the Virgen de los Dolores y Misericordia, the titulars of the brotherhood that has its headquarters in the chapel. They were made in 2007 in the ceramic workshop of José Jaén in Mairena del Alcor.

 

Inside

The interior is divided into two sections by pillars: the presbytery and the nave itself, each covered by vaulted ceilings. The altarpiece is the original Baroque from the second half of the 18th century. Today it is presided over by the image of Jesus Stripped of his Garments, carved by Antonio Perea Sánchez in 1939.

It happens that it was made in the provincial prison of Seville, since the sculptor was in prison, accused of having helped the resistance when Franco's troops took Seville in 1936. The sculpture was reworked in 1974 by Antonio Eslava Rubio, who completely remade the body, keeping the head.

In the niche on the left, the image of the Virgin of Sorrows and Mercy is worshipped, made in 1962 also by Eslava Rubio. To the right is the image of Saint John the Evangelist made by Juan González Ventura in 1981. This carving accompanies that of the Virgin on her palanquin during her processional exit every Palm Sunday.

In the centre of the second body of the altarpiece there is a sculptural group with Saint Anne teaching the young Virgin to read. To the right is Saint Basilisca (identified by José Gestoso as Saint Gertrude) and to the left we find Saint Michael. All of them are anonymous carvings made in the 18th century, forming part of the original sculptural decoration of the altarpiece.

The image that presides over the small altarpiece located on the right wall of the nave is from the same century. It is Our Lady of the Greatest Sorrow, the titular image of the temple. It is also an anonymous sculpture that represents the Virgin kneeling at the foot of the Cross.

On the walls, the images of Saint Joseph with the Child, Saint Ferdinand and Saint Genoveva Torres are worshipped, as well as two canvases with copies by Murillo, one with the "Holy Family" and another with "Saint Anthony and the Child".

BUILDING OF THE SEVILLE CHARITY ASSOCIATION

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This regionalist building designed by Aníbal González stands at the intersection of Arjona and Reyes Católicos streets. It is known by the name of the organisation that commissioned its construction, the Asociación Sevillana de Caridad. It was built between 1912 and 1914 and originally had only one floor. In 1937, the architect Aurelio Gómez Millán was commissioned to build the upper floor, respecting the original layout as much as possible.

From the outside, the main feature of all the facades is exposed brick, which is abundantly used as one of the most characteristic elements of regionalist architecture. In the upper part, decorative ceramic elements help to break up the monochrome of the whole.

The two main entrances are framed by very classical structures. The one facing Reyes Católicos is flanked by pilasters and topped by a triangular pediment decorated with glazed ceramics. The entrance on Calle Segura is framed by columns, also made of brick, which support an entablature with a curved pediment, also with ceramic decoration.

Today, the building houses a restaurant and a hospitality school, both known as “Casa Aníbal”, in reference to the architect who created the original project.

CHAPEL OF LA CARRETERÍA

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The Carretería chapel is a small 18th-century temple located in the Arenal district of Seville. It is one of the smallest chapels in Seville, with less than 100 square meters. As its name indicates, it is the headquarters of the Carretería brotherhood, which processes on the afternoon of Good Friday.

The location of the temple responds to a miraculous event that tradition points to in this place. Apparently, in the mid-16th century, a member of the barrel guild found an image of the Virgin hidden behind a wall in this area. The image gave off a very bright light, which is why it received the invocation of Our Lady of Light. After this event, it was decided to found the brotherhood, whose germ would be the aforementioned barrel guild (1550).

The current chapel was built between 1753 and 1761 based on the plans of Juan Núñez. It has a single nave, covered by a groin vault, except in the presbytery, where the vault is groined. At the end of the 20th century, a new chapel was added to the right to house the image of the Virgin of the Greatest Sorrow in her Solitude.

The façade is neoclassical and very simple. Two pillars frame the entrance and support a split pediment, in the centre of which there is a niche, topped by a triangular pediment. In the centre of the upper part there is a single-bay belfry with the bell.

Inside the chapel, the members of the Carretería brotherhood receive worship. The Cristo de la Salud is an extraordinary carving by an anonymous author that has been dated to the beginning of the 17th century. Although no documentation has been preserved, based on its style, Francisco de Ocampo has been pointed out as its possible author. The Virgin of Light and Saint John are the accompaniers, works from the workshop of Pedro Roldán from around 1677.

In the side chapel there is the image of Our Lady of the Greatest Sorrow in her Solitude. Originally, it was the image of Mary that accompanied the Crucified Christ in the procession of mystery, although since 1885 it has been carried in its own procession of pallium. It is attributed to Alonso Álvarez Albarrán and has been dated to 1629.

We also find a dressed image of the Virgin with the Child, with the invocation of Our Lady of Light (of glory), which it shares with the aforementioned. Traditionally it has been identified with the image that miraculously appeared in this place around 1550. However, a stylistic analysis makes it clear that the image was made in the second half of the 18th century. It is possible that the current image was made from the remains of the original or that, for some reason and at some time that we do not know, it was decided to replace it.

CHAPEL OF LA PIEDAD DEL BARATILLO

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The chapel of La Piedad del Baratillo is a small baroque-style temple located in the Arenal district of Seville. It is the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Baratillo, which takes part in a procession on Holy Wednesday afternoon with two floats (pasos), La Piedad and the Virgen de la Caridad.

Since the mid-17th century, in the place where the chapel is today, there was a small mound on which an iron cross was raised. In that same place, some of the victims of the 1649 epidemic had been buried, which in Seville killed more than half of the population. Around 60,000 people died of "plague" in the city that year.

The Baratillo Cross was awakening an ever-increasing devotion and in 1693 a brotherhood was founded around it and the construction of a chapel was decided.

Its works were completed in 1696 under the direction of Bernardo Bustamante, although in the mid-eighteenth century an extension was carried out directed by Marcos Sancho.

The chapel has a Latin cross plan, with the transept slightly raised, and a single nave. This is covered with a barrel vault and above the presbytery there is an octagonal dome on pendentives. On the outside, the dome is crowned by a metal cross, which is traditionally considered to be the primitive one that was raised on the Baratillo hill in the seventeenth century.

The exterior façade is very simple. It has a doorway with two bodies. In the lower one, the entrance opening is framed under a split pediment, in the centre of which there is a second body, smaller in size. It is flanked by pillars that support a triangular pediment and in its centre there is a contemporary stained glass window, donated to the brotherhood by the Austrian pavilion after Expo 92. The façade is topped by a bell gable under a curved pediment and with a single opening that houses the bell.

Inside are the titular images of the Brotherhood of Baratillo. In the main altarpiece, original from the late 17th century, the Virgin of Mercy is worshipped, a work by Manuel José Rodríguez Fernández-Andes from 1945. In her lap is the Christ of Mercy, made by the sculptor of San Roque Luis Ortega Bru in 1951. In an altarpiece on the right side is the image of the Virgin of Charity in her Solitude, made by the same sculptor as the Piedad, Rodríguez Fernández Andes, in 1931.

In an altarpiece on the left side is the carving of Saint Joseph with the Child, which is also the titular image of the brotherhood. It has been dated to the second half of the 18th century and, although it is an anonymous author, some authors attribute it to José Montes de Oca. It was donated in 1794 by the bullfighter Pepe Hillo. The brotherhood has historically been closely linked to the world of bullfighting, with many bullfighters linked to it, "either as brothers or out of deep devotion." It should be remembered that the temple is located just a few meters from the Maestranza bullring.

HOUSE OF FLIES

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The residential and commercial building located on the corner of Adriano and Pastor y Landero streets is one of the few examples of modernist architecture in Seville. Its design was by the Sevillian architect Antonio Gómez Millán and it is popularly known as the “House of Flies” due to its ceramic decoration featuring insects.

Its design posed the challenge of having to adapt to the characteristics of a completely triangular plot, with two sides forming a façade to the outside and a third adjoining the building next door. The entire space is articulated around a central courtyard, also rectangular in shape, with the sides that have a façade wider than the dividing wall. The corner where the streets meet is harmoniously highlighted with a simple chamfer that stands out from the triangular plan.

The facade is notable for its horizontality and the superposition of semicircular and lintelled openings, which is also found in other works by the same author. Its imaginative decorative elements mean that the building can be classified as modernist. As we said, this style is quite rare in the city, since at the time when this style was developed in other European cities (early 20th century), Seville decidedly opted for Regionalism.

Among the modernist elements, the tile decoration stands out. On a yellow background, very common in Seville workshops, stylised natural elements are arranged, which, on the contrary, are not at all common in the city. Thus, in the spandrels and on the lintels, stylised and beautiful designs are arranged based on natural elements such as leaves, flowers, dragonflies, butterflies and bees.

ROSARY CHAPEL – HERMANDAD DE LAS AGUAS

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It is a small neo-baroque temple located in the Arenal neighbourhood, the result of the reconstruction in 1990 of a previous chapel that was in a state of ruin. Since 1977 it has been the headquarters of the Hermandad de las Aguas, which processes on the afternoon of Holy Monday.

The original chapel was built at the end of the 17th century. In the following century, part of the Maestranza de Artillería buildings were built around it. When these buildings were demolished to make way for the current theatre, the structure of the chapel was compromised, so the aforementioned reconstruction was necessary, respecting its original appearance.

This project was directed by the architects Luis Marín and Aurelio del Pozo, the same ones who designed the Maestranza theatre. In addition to rebuilding the temple itself, the brotherhood house and tower were built next to it.

The chapel is made up of a single nave with a Latin cross plan, although with the arms barely prominent. The central space is covered by a dome on pendentives, hemispherical on the inside and octagonal on the outside.

Its main façade is very simple, with a large entrance under a basket-shaped arch that allows the "pasos" to leave and collect. It is protected by a simple eaves. At the top there is a two-span bell gable that houses the bells.

The style of the tower added in 1990 is completely different. It is a simple prism, with three square windows on two sides. At the top, the terrace is surrounded by a battlement in the style of a defensive tower.

KING’S WOOD WAREHOUSES

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The so-called Almacén del Rey is an old building originally built around 1735. Its purpose was to house the wood that arrived in the city down the Guadalquivir from the Sierra del Segura (Jaén). Its current appearance is far from the original, since between 1950 and 1960 important reforms were undertaken: a floor for residential use was added and the ground floor was transformed for commercial use. The architects Alberto Balbontín de Orta and Antonio Delgado Roig were the architects of these transformations, after which it can be considered that only part of the original building remains.

The building has a rectangular floor plan. On three sides, there are “slightly lowered semicircular arches on the outside, finishing off the construction with towers like sentry boxes and with attic openings in the centre of each side. On the main front, between two of the aforementioned openings, there is a royal coat of arms”.

MERCADO DEL POSTIGO – POSTIGO’S MARKET

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The Postigo Market is an interesting regionalist-style building designed by Juan Talavera y Heredia around 1926. Today it houses the El Postigo Craft Market, where around twenty local artisan workshops sell their products.

The building occupies a small block between streets, so it adopts a triangular shape with chamfered corners. It has two floors, in addition to the basement, which are arranged around a central space covered by skylights that allow light to pass through.

 

On the outside, we find exposed pressed brick and on the second floor there is a concrete balustrade that surrounds the terrace. Its main façade is the one facing north (Arfe Street). As it is the shortest, the architect emphasises its importance by erecting a simple square-shaped viewing tower above it, also topped by a balustrade.

* : Wikimedia