MONUMENTS, UNIQUE PLACES, ATTRACTIONS

A tour through the coolest alleys of Seville

There is an adventurous point to venturing into the Santa Cruz neighborhood. Taking one direction or another will lead you to discover very different enclaves, all of them enveloped by a dreamy halo. Its maze of labyrinthine and narrow streets will transport you to another time and, why not say it, to cooler atmospheres. Let yourself go.

A treasure behind every corner

The current neighborhoods of Santa Cruz, Santa María la Blanca and San Bartolomé make up what was the old Jewish quarter of Seville. Vestiges of past times can still be found in its narrow streets, small squares and passages.

Undoubtedly, the callejón del Agua is a must-see street in your tour of the labyrinthine neighborhood of Santa Cruz. Next to the city wall, and parallel to the Real Alcázar Gardens, this street was used to carry water from the Caños de Carmona to the Reales Alcázares. Hence its present name.

Around this emblematic Sevillian alley are others with similar charm. The magical Callejón de la Judería will leave you speechless. Its unique layout and structure link Vida Street with the Patio de Banderas, through a historic shutter. A fountain and the tombstone dedicated to the Spanish writer Luis Cernuda crown this place, in addition to the arch and the tower that, in its time, were part of the gate that connected the Real Alcázar with the Jewish quarter.

However, the best advice we can give you is very simple: ‘get lost’. Decide as you go, go into alleys, surprise yourself with the brick pavement of Calle Verde or walk along the small barreduela that connects the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes with the Plazoleta de Santa Marta. One of the quietest and most mysterious corners where to stop to take the fresh air in the center of Seville.

The narrowest streets in Seville

The historic center of Seville is home to some of the narrowest streets of the city, stretches so narrow that require passing in turns. At the top of the ranking is Mariscal Street, which connects the Plaza de Refinadores with Doncellas Street. Its narrowest area is 101 cm.

The 106 cm width of Reinoso street has led it to be popularly known as ‘The street of kisses‘. This is because the closeness of the balconies on both sides of the street would allow, without great effort, to hug and kiss the neighbor across the street. Other streets such as Lope de Rueda (102 cm) or Calle Cruces(119 cm) also enjoy a cozy dimension.

Legends of Life and Death

Paradoxically, and by chance, ‘life’ and ‘death’ draw two parallel lines on the map of the old Sevillian aljama. We refer to Calle Vida and Callejón Susona, formerly Calle de la Muerte. Both are wrapped in stories that are told halfway between reality and legend.

The legend of Vida Street tells that this section, which connects Judería Street with the Santa Cruz neighborhood, was one of the doors through which, in the 14th century, some Jewish families managed to escape a fateful outcome.

In contrast, we find the street of Susona, popularly known as Calle de la Muerte. This owes its name to a well-known legend about a Jewish girl, whose love for a Christian knight led her to betray the treasonous plans of her father, Diego Susón. He was sentenced to death. Currently, two tiles at number 10 Susona Street remind us of the legend.

To keep in mind

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The temperature difference in the Santa Cruz neighborhood can be as much as 10ºC less.

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The peculiar street names are an attraction in themselves.

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