Seville's most emblematic sculptural works
Seville is full of art wherever you go. Its artistic heritage transforms its streets into an open-air gallery, where valuable monuments and also numerous sculptures of diverse styles, periods, and themes converge. They all tell captivating stories that capture the essence of the city. Do you want to find out more about them?
Historical figures
Kings, explorers, and conquerors are immortalized in the city’s main squares. The colossal monument to Columbus can be found at the Catalina de Ribera Promenade, in the the Murillo Gardens, while the statue dedicated to Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador, is located on Avenida del Cid. Regarding the monument to Ferdinand III, known as «the Saint,» the conqueror of the city in 1248 and the patron of Seville, it can be visited at Plaza Nueva.
Gallery of the twelve illustrious Sevillians
This collection of twelve statues, located in the Palace of San Telmo, was commissioned to the sculptor Antonio Susillo by the Infanta María Luisa. They are placed on the balustrade of the façade of Palos de la Frontera street and represent twelve individuals, nine of them born in the city, while the remaining three lived and died in it. Among the most well-known are Juan Martínez Montañés, Rodrigo Ponce de León, Diego Velázquez, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and Bartolomé de las Casas.
Immortal bullfighters
In Seville, the art of bullfighting has inspired numerous sculptural works in honour of the masters of the bullring. The statues of Manolo Vázquez and Curro Romero are located next to the Maestranza Bullring, the arena that has seen them come out victorious so many times. Juan Belmonte can be admired at the Altozano in Triana, Manolo Vázquez in El Arenal, Manuel Jiménez Chicuelo in the Alameda de Hércules, and Joselito el Gallo in front of the Basilica of La Macarena. An impressive sculpture of the great Francisco Rivera Paquirri guards his tomb in the cemetery of San Fernando.
Female sculptures: Carmen, in front of the king's mother and the flamenco sculpture of Triana
The sculpture of Carmen, the cigar girl from Bizet’s famous opera is located in front of the Maestranza bullring, on the other side of Paseo Colón.
A recent sculpture of the Infanta María de las Mercedes, on horseback, welcomes you to the Bullring. King Juan Carlos’s mother was a great fan of bulls and horses and always showed immense affection for the city of Seville.
In the Plaza del Altozano, in front of the Triana Market, stands the bronze sculpture called Triana al Arte Flamenco, made by the Sevillian artist Jesús Gavira in 1993. It is a trilogy of the three aspects of flamenco: singing, dancing and the touch, represented by the female figure, the anvil and the guitar.
Unforgettable artists
Seville has been the birthplace of great artists throughout history, and many of them are also remembered through beautiful sculptures. The famous painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s statue can be found in the Plaza del Museo, while the statue of the sculptor Juan Martínez Montañes is located in the popular Plaza del Salvador and Diego Velázquez’s one rests in the Plaza del Duque.
In Maria Luisa Park, one of the city’s most emblematic sculptural works is located. It is declared a Cultural Heritage Site and is dedicated to the Sevillian poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, in the Glorieta named after him. Nearby, in front of the Plaza de España, we can find a monument paying tribute to the architect of the aforementioned Plaza de España, Aníbal González.
Moreover, as representatives of the flamenco art deeply rooted in the city, we can find the sculptures of Manolo Caracol and La Niña de los Peines (both in the Alameda de Hércules) and Pastora Imperio, at the intersection of Velázquez and O’Donnell streets.
Other significant sculptures
Lastly, we must not forget to mention sculptures such as the Monument to Tolerance (Muelle de la Sal), a work by Eduardo Chillida, and other less known works such as the one dedicated to Don Juan Tenorio, the legendary character created by Zorrilla, located in the Barrio de Santa Cruz, or the statue of a kind girl reading while seated, in the Plaza de la Pescadería, next to the Alfalfa, representing Clara Campoamor.
