The capital of Andalusia is famous mostly for its romantic beauty, as well as its well-deserved reputation for theatricality and intensity. Of all the places in Spain, this comes closest to the quintessential image of a place filled with passionate bullfighters, coy ladies smiling from behind black lace veils, orange trees, flowery patios, and gypsies dancing the flamenco with castanets at their fingertips. In fact, though the exact origins of flamenco are hard to trace, it is fairly established that it began with Andalusian gypsies who mixed their indigenous culture with that of their Moorish rulers, and Christian music.

The backdrop for the classic tales of Don Juan, Carmen, and Figaro the Barber, like all of Andalusia, shows the deep Moorish influence of 7 centuries, among other elements, through its thick-walled buildings with heavily-grilled windows and cool inner patios. In its 16th-century Golden Age, Seville was given a monopoly by Ferdinand and Isabella as the port of entry for all the wealth streaming in from the Americas. The effect of this fateful appointment is a legacy of richly ornate buildings, priceless art collections, impressive public squares, opulent private mansions, and an undiminished sense of pride. This is simply one of Spain's most pleasing and gorgeous cities!