Over the weekend, Kim, Cooper, and I, planned for our first day trip together as a group. We began by catching a bus near our home here in Sevilla before heading to the small pueblo of Carmona located about an hour away. It happened to be a very foggy morning, so our drive into the countryside was obscured by an ominous presence in the air. However, when we arrived in Carmona, that feeling — however not the fog as of yet — lifted the moment we got off the bus. We found ourselves at the base of a tall Giraldita with a large gilded mosque at its back surrounded by quaint terraced homes. It began to mist as we started to look around, so instead we ducked into a cafe for all my favorite Spanish breakfast treats — café, tostada con jamón y tomate, and churros.
Satisfied with our breakfast, but not so much with the weather, we conceded to the elements and walked to the city’s tourist office to join up with our walking tour for the day. Unfortunately, because we were the only English speakers in our group, I had to put my skills to the test and act as a translator for Kim and Cooper for the duration of our 3 hour guided tour of the city. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time exploring the town and getting to understand it’s history first-hand from the people who lived there.
Our group began at the Puerta de Sevilla which was the main entrance through the city’s walls. Built by the Phoenicians around 237 BC, the gates and surrounding areas were subsequently strengthened by the Romans during their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. At the top of the gate we learned about the area’s military and geographical significance having been situated between the four great provinces of Sevilla, Cadiz, Malaga, and Cordoba.
Descending back down to the cobble-stoned streets, we continued our tour by passing through Plaza de San Fernando towards the Parroquia de Santa María de la Asunción. In the courtyard alone of the church, one could find 2,000 years of religious culture in just one glance. Those including 12th century Arabic arches, Roman columns, and even a Visigoth liturgical calendar — the latter of which being the oldest conserved documentation of Christianity in Sevilla. The actual structure and internal layout of the church very much resembled the Cathedral of Sevilla. However, despite its smaller size, it was nonetheless impressive.
After touring the church, we continued on to our last stop of the tour located in the city’s Archeological Museum. Inside, the museum had many artifacts on display from the Phoenician and Roman periods. My favorite of which happened to be a large vase dating between 850-550 BC which had been preserved with detailed images of strange mythological animals — which have now become symbols of the city!
Our tour having ended at the museum, we decided to return to Plaza de San Fernando to stop for lunch. Luckily, it was at that moment the clouds began to lift and the sun broke through. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and some regional wine before trekking across town to the city’s Archaeological Complex. The complex included a large Roman amphitheater as well as an impressive example of one of the town’s necropolises — Roman burial grounds. What was so interesting about the latter was the fact that the Romans had carved extensive tombs and tunnel systems straight down into the earth. It was really interesting to peer into these seemingly “holes in the ground” and imagine the ceremonies and people who once walked the same grounds as ourselves.
After a day full of history and new adventures, we caught our bus back to Sevilla with the gang’s first mini-trip successfully carried out. Carmona was a charming little pueblo that I would recommend to anyone seeking the same historical thrills of Sevilla, but wanting to escape the crowds and long lines. I always seem to find something really special about the attitudes and pride of people living and working in towns like this have for their shared history. While a few monuments in Carmona were seemingly miniatures of those in Sevilla, each had it’s own unique surprises and — at times — greater cultural significances. It was a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city on the water.
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