Italica Ruins
The ruined city of Italica, some
half dozen miles northwest of Seville, Spain, is one of the most
interesting and exciting marvels of the modern day, founded in 206
BC by the Roman general Pulius Cornelius Scipio Africanus to house
the wounded soldiers from the Battle of Ilipa. At the battle, the
Carthaginian army was defeated during the Second Punic War, and by
naming the new town Italica somehow bounded it to the Italian
builders. It was here that the Roman emperor Trajan was born, a
great general that was able to expand the Roman Empire to it
greatest extant of lands, and whose adopted son Hadrian would return
here to Italica and help it with all means necessary. He added
temples, including one that honored Trajan, rebuilt structures and
made a colonia of the city, which was one of the highest honors a
foreign city could hold. The amphitheater located here was big
enough to seat 25,000 people, which made it the third biggest in the
Roman Empire. At the height of its existence, it had around 8000
Romans living there, as well as other peoples that had come for
trading, adventure and numerous other opportunities. The
well-preserved city is an outstanding example of what the Roman
cities looked like around that era, and show the favoritism that was
shown it during Hadrian's reign. After the Guadalquivir River
shifted, most believe that it was caused by siltation, a large
problem back then, after the forests were destroyed to make way for
the cities, the city of Italica was left high and dry. By the 3rd
century, however, it was on its decline; with the settlement of
Seville growing and encroaching on some of its older foundations.
Today, it is an uniquely well-preserved Roman city of Hispania
Baetica, with a wealth of artifacts that can be found and seen in
the Museo Arqueologico of Seville, including its famous marble
colussus of Trajan. Italica had Roman cobbled streets that are still
visible today, with many mosaic flooring still in place; with its
excavation beginning in 1781 and still happening today. After large
extensive excavations, as well as construction of visitor
facilities, the city has become one of the most popular destinations
for tourists, and a yearly cross country running contest that is
held each January called the Cross Internacional de Italica. This
event brings in many visitors, adults and children alike, with the
senior competition bringing in many world famous champions.
Palacio de San Telmo
The
San Telmo Palace is where the seat of the presidency of the Junta de
Andalucia sits, starting back in 1682, sitting on land that was
located outside the walls of the Inquisition Court, to hold seminars
for the University College of Merchants and to house orphans of the
state's sailors. It is a large rectangular landmark of the baroque
style in Seville, Spain, with a huge central courtyard, as well as
several smaller ones, a chapel and gardens and four towers, one on
each corner. The chapel entrance is from a courtyard that was
designed by Leonardo de Figueroa, who also helped with the interior
decoration as well. Others that were included in the magnificent
interior furnishings are; Pedro Duque Cornejo, a sculptor, John
Thomas Diaz, a carpenter, Miguel de Quintana, a mason and Domingo
Martinez, the painter. It contains the image of Our Lady of Good
Air, that was brought here in the early 17th century. The large
front facade, created in the outstanding style of churrigueresco was
finished in 1754, under the leadership of other Figueroa family
members, but mostly Matias Antonio and Matias, the son and grandson
of Leonardo. The facade is broken up into three distinct parts, with
the first being the front entrance doorway, flanked by three columns
on each side, and the second belonging to the balcony that is
supported by Atlanteans with reliefs of Indians surrounding the
balcony figures of 12 women. On the top, framed in by columns, is
the central figure of San Telmo, the patron saint of sailors, and
flanked by the trustees of the city at that time, San Fernando and
San Hermendegildo. In 1895, the front had the addition of 12
distinguished people from Seville that was designed by Antonio
Susilla and is made up of the following; Juan Martinez Montanes,
sculptor, Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, marquis of Cadiz and captain
general of the reconquest of Granada, Diego Rodriguez de Silva y
Velazquez, painter, Miguel Manara, caballero and philanthropist
founder of the Hospital de la Santa Caridad, Lope de Rueda, writer,
Fernando de Herrera, poet, Luis Daoiz, military hero of the War of
Independence, Benito Arias Montano, humanist, Bartolome Esteban
Murillo, painter, Fernando Enriquez Afan de Ribera, Duke of Alcala,
humanist, Fray Bartolome de las Casas, bishop of Chiapas (Mexico)
and protector of the Indians.
