Seville, a city on every continent
Although there is a replica of the Giralda of Seville in Kansas City, a city twinned with the Andalusian capital, it can be said that there is only one Seville. Well, not really. In fact, there are 10. It is not that they are copies of the Spanish metropolis, but simply places that bear the same name. And not only are there 10 Sevilles, but there is at least one on every continent.
Seville’s Giralda. | Shutterstock
The oldest of the Sevillas still standing, not counting the Andalusian one, is the one located in the Community of Madrid, between the towns of Navalcarnero and Brunete. It is a municipality founded in 1544 and refounded in 1554. This enclave acquired its name due to the surname of one of its first mayors, Antón Sevillano. Among its monuments, the palace of Baena, built in the 16th century, stands out.
Volusia, Florida. | Shutterstock
By far the largest number of Sevilles is in the Americas, where there are six. In the United States alone there are three, although it is true that there is not much information about them because they are quite small towns. One is located in the state of Ohio, in the county of Medina. It is a town of little more than six square kilometers and has about 2,000 inhabitants.
Further south, in Georgia, is another Seville, in this case belonging to Wilcox County. Finally, in the southernmost state in the east of the country, Florida, is the last U.S. Seville. It is part of Volusia County and has an area of just two square kilometers.
Seville of Colombia. | Shutterstock
Cities with this name are most important in South America and the Caribbean. In Jamaica, a Spanish colony until the beginning of the second half of the 18th century, Sevilla la Nueva, founded in 1509, was of great importance. It was one of the first Spanish foundations established in the Caribbean during the years of the colonization of America. This enclave no longer receives this name, but still retains the name of Seville in some of its corners. By the way, it is a site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its rich history.
The Sevillas that still exist are those of Colombia and Ecuador. The first one got its name because one of its founders was enchanted by the spectacle of a dance company from the Andalusian capital. The second, called Sevilla de Oro, is located in an Ecuadorian canton, in the province of Azuay. In this case, the Sevillian canton was founded in 1574, during the reign of Philip II.
Bohol Island, home of the ‘Philippine Seville’. | Shutterstock
But the list does not end here. Asia and Africa have their own Seville, and Oceania has no less than two. In the case of the Asian continent, we speak of the Philippine Seville, established on the island of Bohol in 1872. It was one of the last settlements that the Spanish built in the area. The buildings of that time were burned down during the American invasion, but the name survives. In South Africa the name of the Spanish town was given to a small settlement in the Limpopo area.
In Australia are Seville Grove, a few kilometers from the capital of Western Australia (Perth), and the Seville of Melbourne. In the first case, it seems that the suburb of Perth took the name Seville due to the fact that many oranges are also grown there. In the second case, it is a city located east of Melbourne, capital of the Australian state of Victoria. At first, this place was named Red lands, but it was changed in honor of the daughter of a renowned secretary to the treasury.
