Plaza Nueva - Seville

Until the Visigothic era (6th and 7th centuries), the land that forms today's Plaza Nueva was part of the bottom of a disappeared arm of the Guadalquivir River. There are finds that prove that port facilities were located there. The Visigoths drained this land. Afterwards, this area remained an area of frequent flooding , which is why it was known as the Pajería Lagoon.

In 1268, Fernando III donated this land to the Franciscan Order, which built a monastery there, which was destroyed in 1811 during the French occupation. Although partially rebuilt soon afterwards, it was subject to Mendizábal's confiscation and was demolished in 1840. Today, all that remains of this monastery are the Chapel of San Onofre (to the south) and the Renaissance arch (next to the Town Hall) that gives access to the Plaza de San Francisco .

In 1852, the facade of the town hall overlooking the square was built. The north, south and west flanks of the square were completed in 1856. The square first appears in the city plans from 1872.

The monument to San Fernando was inaugurated in 1924.

In the second half of the 20th century it was part of the primitive metro route (a kind of tram) with a metro station that was never inaugurated.

Although the square changed its name several times around the twentieth century, its neighbors have always called it Plaza Nueva because it was built much later than most squares in the city center.

Willem Vandenameele