SINGULAR, NEIGHBORHOODS

A beautiful and silent time capsule

If you leave the historic center of Seville through the famous Puerta de la Carne and stroll for a few minutes towards the East, you will find yourself in what looks like another historic center! And you will probably ask yourself, why is this neighborhood of old streets and houses suddenly appearing here?

Here was the camp of King Ferdinand III

The ancient character of the layout and the buildings that you can see in San Bernardo is due to the fact that in times of the Reconquest, the troops of Fernando III ‘The Saint’ installed their headquarters here during their siege of Isbiliya (name of the Almohad Seville). At that time, everything surrounding this area «was countryside» (as the classics would say), and only a few hundred meters separated the camp from the city walls.

The names of the streets of San Bernardo recall that era. The streets Campamento, Tentudía, Alonso Tello, Almonacid? recall the landmarks and characters of those episodes. Or Cofia Street, named after a legend that tells of Ferdinand III fleeing disguised as a maid after being discovered in a secret raid on the city behind the walls. Obviously, he was fascinated by Seville. They were times of legends and kings.

The imposing Artillery Factory

A historic building plays a leading role in San Bernardo: the Royal Artillery Factory. Since the 16th century there have been foundry workshops in this place, but it was in 1782 when the architect Vicente de San Martín gave it all its grandeur and monumentality.

St. Bernard Bridge

The San Bernardo Bridge is one of the most unique regionalist constructions in Seville. It is the work of the engineer José Luis de Casso Romero and the architect Juan Talavera. The latter is one of the most outstanding names of Sevillian regionalism, who, with José Espiau and mainly Aníbal González, stamped a unique seal on the city. Talavera is the author of works such as the Telefónica Building in Plaza Nueva, the Consulate of France or the Church of San Cruz, among others.

The San Bernardo Bridge stands out for its integration with its surroundings, the use of carved brick and eye-catching elements such as its forged lampposts or its neo-baroque sentry boxes.

The San Bernardo Bridge is one of the last testimonies, together with the building of the Cadiz Station, of the old railway network of Seville that crossed the area.

To keep in mind

01_

Every Good Wednesday, the neighborhood of San Bernardo lives its great day of Holy Week with the processional departure of its brotherhood.

02_

The beautiful Church of San Bernardo presents a mixture of baroque and neoclassical styles, and is one of the neuralgic centers of the neighborhood.

03_

San Bernardo is known as the neighborhood of bullfighters, since a good number of bullfighters came from here.

04_

The neighborhood is bordered to the east by the Jardines de la Buhaira, former Arab orchards of the palace of the same name.

05_

Around San Bernardo there is a spectacular gastronomic offer, with some of the most successful new restaurants in the city.