A Walk in Seville’s Picturesque Triana District, Seville, Spain

Just to the west of Seville’s city centre, across the Guadalquivir river, lies Triana. This former working class neighbourhood was once home to the Escuela de Mareantes (School of Navigation) which instructed many of the famous sailors of the 15th and 16th centuries. Both Columbus and Magellan studied there before their expeditions in search of new worlds. It is famous too for its tradition of ceramic tile work and its unique style of flamenco.

Today Triana retains its distinct identity. Neighbourhood bars nestle up against beautiful old churches; arches reveal intriguing glimpses of the houses beyond; ornate signs created with ceramic tiles celebrate those who lived here before.

One morning of our stay in Seville (a rather grey, drizzly morning) we enjoyed a walk through some of its many picturesque streets with lots of photo opportunities. One of the first places we passed was an interesting old building which reminded me a little of London mews streets. It had obviously been carefully restored, as a majolica panel near the entrance showed. I learned later that this is a traditional corral or communal home, once very typical of this district. Wikipedia describes it as, ‘a building organised around a patio with a central fountain, the occupants living in individual rooms that open to the communal patio’. These corrales were traditionally the homes of the large Romany population of Triana but only a few now remain. They are strictly protected and, I got the impression, rather gentrified. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).