Italica: A Side of Sevilla Rarely Considered

Sevilla isn't necessarily the most modern city in Spain- there aren't any skyscrapers or booming centers of business in the city, but old definitely wouldn't be the word that comes to mind while walking through its streets. However just a twenty minute car ride outside the city lies a beautiful relic of Sevilla's ancient history- the ruins of the Roman city of Italica. In 200 BC, the Romans built Italica as a kind of retirement community for soldiers to enjoy the remainder of their days after they had completed enough time in battle. They chose the location for mainly its climate- the warmth was good for the soldiers to relax and recuperate, and also the scenery was similar to that of Italy so it felt like home for the soldiers. Later the city would also become populated by wealthy Italians who wanted to get away from Rome.

I was so shocked to see how little was left of the city. When someone says "ruins" I just think of old stone buildings that are crumbling, but these truly were just merely ruins. What used to be 3-4 story high apartment buildings were now foundations no more than a foot high.

The Roman city was highly sophisticated, having its own underground sewage system with private bathrooms in nearly every house. There were also gyms or areas for sports on the ground floors of many of the apartment buildings. Beautiful mosaics tiled the floors in what used to be common bath areas, such as this one:

About 400 years after the city was built, there was an arena that was built outside of the walls of the city. This arena was similar in function and design to the Coliseum in Rome. It was used for animal and gladiator fights, among other forms of entertainment. The arena also had an underground passage under the main floor of the arena where animals were kept before being brought out into the main floor for show. This underground passage could be covered with wooden planks during the shows. Originally, the arena had three tiers, although weather and time had worn down the arena so that really only the first tier of seating is left. The different tiers were for separating classes of attendees, as well as women and children. 

While much of Italica has been uncovered, there are still fields surrounding the city that have yet to be investigated. The true size of Italica is still unknown for this reason, and may not ever be uncovered. Is there any further reason to just uncover more of the same thing? This is the reasoning many have used to discontinue their funding to the excavation of Italica. Who knows though- the best part of the ancient city may still lie undiscovered in the fields outside of Sevilla. 

Córdoba and Granada

One of my favorite things about studying abroad with ISA is the amount of excursions that are included with our program fee, including this past weekend's excursion to the Spanish cities of Córdoba and Granada. Córdoba is famous for its mosque, which is unique not only for its red and white striped colors but also because there is a Christian chapel located in the center of the mosque.

Córdoba, while a beautiful and older, well-preserved Spanish city, was definitely doable in one day. After visiting the Mosque we spent two hours walking around the beautiful white washed streets of the city. Some friends and I went to a small tea shop down a random street where I had what was definitely the best smoothie of my life. It was rich and creamy, tasting strongly of banana with a little bit of coconut and kiwi. I would compare Córdoba to Sevilla- not necessarily a hot tourist destination, but it shows a side of Spain that has withstood the test of time and is still rich in authentic culture and heritage. Maybe it's not first on everyone's list of places to visit when they come on vacation to Spain, but it would definitely be a lovely place to live or study.

After Córdoba we continued our trip to Granada. Granada is located almost exactly in a horizontal line with Sevilla when looking at a map of Spain, however it's a little cooler in temperature because of the influence of the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range. Granada is a city that thrives off the atmosphere created by its status as the most common destination for international students partaking in the ERASMUS program. We briefly touched on the ERASMUS program in my cultures class- basically it is a program that allows students in countries in the EU to study at other universities in the EU at the same tuition price as their home institution. It's kind of like the European version of direct study abroad exchanges. Additionally, Granada is the city where my own study abroad advisor at Pitt studied abroad, and he always spoke highly of his experience and I was anxious to experience the city for myself. 

That night we were scheduled to see a flamenco performance. I was so excited for this- flamenco is the dance that the region of Andalucia (the southern portion of Spain where both Sevilla and Granada are located) is famous for. Flamenco originally was created and performed by the gypsy population in Spain. It actually has both singing and dancing elements, however when most people think of flamenco they only think of the delicate and slow wrist movements and tiered, elegant dresses of the dance. It is very soulful and spontaneous- while most dancers and singers today have routines worked out there is still a lot of room for improvisation. The singing of flamenco doesn't necessarily have lyrics- it's more of a heartfelt moaning or wailing. This description may sound harsh, but there really aren't many art forms left that are truly relics of the past without much modernization or modification. 

The next day we spent at La Alhambra, which is what Granada is most famous for. La Alhambra is an ancient Moorish city that was originally built as a combination city/fortress to protect and house its citizens. When the Moors were conquered by the Catholic monarchs, La Alhambra became a kind of summer home for Spanish royalty. Most people make the mistake of thinking the the Alhambra was a castle, but it was actually an entire mini city enclosed by walls (see photo below)! The Alhambra has all the elements of a city- gardens, chapels, a palace, recreational areas, an amphitheater for shows and public gatherings, and living areas. The entire city was irrigated by naturally running water- being built into a mountain, the Alhambra uses gravity, running water, and waterfalls to get water to the entire city. It was wonderful to walk through the gardens and other passageways of La Alhambra- not only did we have the most beautiful weather, but it was almost as if I could imagine myself as a Moorish citizen living inside La Alhambra and walking through it as I went about my daily tasks. Everything was incredibly well-preserved, and it definitely helped walking through it with a tour guide who could explain the significance of everything that we were looking at.

I think by far the most exciting part of the weekend for me was seeing snow-capped mountains for the first time. This probably sounds really stupid- I mean I've seen pictures of snow-capped mountains all the time. But seeing them in person was something beyond anything I've ever experienced. It was so unreal to be standing in the warm sunshine and feeling the wonders of a beautiful spring day, and be looking at mountains that didn't really seem that much taller than the spot where I was that still had snow on them. I've honestly never thought that I liked mountains before. I am so used to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania that, while beautiful and pleasant, really aren't all that exquisite (but maybe I'm just used to them by now). But I know now the mountains- real mountains, not the ones near where I live- are some of the most beautiful features of nature. I'm so glad that this is one memory I had in Spain while looking at the Sierra Nevada mountains. I know that in the future, whenever I see snow-capped mountains I will think back to standing in the sunshine of the Alhambra in Granada, and turning around enjoying what I thought was a spectacular view, only to be startled into silence by the most beautiful view of all.