Seville (/səˈvɪl/ sə-VIL; Spanish: Sevilla, pronounced [seˈβiʎa] ( listen)) is the capital and largest city of

the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower
reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Seville has a municipal population of about 701,000 as of 2022, and a metropolitan population of about
1.5 million, making it the largest city in Andalusia, the fourth-largest city in Spain and the 26th most
populous municipality in the European Union. Its old town, with an area of 4 square kilometres (2 sq mi),
contains a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising three buildings: the Alcázar palace complex, the
Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies. The Seville harbour, located about 80 kilometres (50
miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain.[2] The capital of Andalusia features hot
temperatures in the summer, with daily maximums routinely above 35 °C (95 °F) in July and August.

Seville was founded as the Roman city of Hispalis. Known as Ishbiliyah after the Islamic conquest in 711,
Seville became the centre of the independent Taifa of Seville following the collapse of the Caliphate of
Córdoba in the early 11th century; later it was ruled by Almoravids and Almohads until being
incorporated to the Crown of Castile in 1248.[3] Owing to its role as gateway of the Spanish Empire's trans-
atlantic trade, managed from the Casa de Contratación, Seville became one of the largest cities in
Western Europe in the 16th century. Coinciding with the Baroque period, the 17th century in Seville
represented the most brilliant flowering of the city's culture; then began a gradual economic and
demographic decline as silting in the Guadalquivir forced the trade monopoly to relocate to the nearby
port of Cádiz.

The 20th century in Seville saw the tribulations of the Spanish Civil War, decisive cultural milestones such
as the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and Expo '92, and the city's election as the capital of the
Autonomous Community of Andalusia.