(Sp. Sevilla), a province of Spain, Andalusia, bounded on the N. by the province of Badajoz, N.E. by that of Cordova, S.E. and S. by those of Malaga and Cadiz, and W. by that of Huelva. Area, 8011 square miles. It is in general a flat country, lying in the valley of the Guadalquivir, which traverses the province in a very irregular course from N.E. to S.W.; but near its northern and southern frontiers there are elevations of considerable height. In the north, Seville includes some of the highest summits of the Sierra Morena; and in the south, part of the Sierra de Ronda. Next to the Guadalquivir, the largest river in the province is its affluent the Jenil, which forms the boundary between Seville and Cordova. The Guadalquivir also receives from the right the Biar and the Cola; from the left the Corbones and the Guadaira, besides other streams of less importance. The mineral resources of the country are considerable. Coal is obtained in the Sierra Morena, marble and limestone in the Sierra of Ronda. Iron, silver, lead, and copper also exist in the province. The soil is extremely fertile, and produces in abundance all sorts of corn, wine, oil, vegetables, oranges, and other fruits. Tobacco, hemp, and flax are also grown. The climate is very warm and genial; the temperature in summer ranges from 90° to 100°, and in winter seldom descends lower than 48°; so that frost and snow are entirely unknown here. These rich and genial regions, which were made by the ancients the seat of the Elysian fields, have always offered a strong temptation to warlike tribes, and have been but feebly defended against their attacks by the indolent and peaceful natives of the soil. Manufactures are not carried on to any great extent here; the rich produce of the land sufficing to supply most of the necessaries and some of the luxuries of life. Silk fabrics are made in the capital; and in addition to this, coarse woollen cloth, linen, earthenware, cast-iron, soap, and brandy are manufactured in the province. Corn, oil, wool, fruits, and other articles are exported. The roads in this province, as in the whole of Andalusia, are very bad, being for the most part mere mule tracks. A railway has, however, been constructed from Cadiz to Cordova, which traverses the province; and the Guadalquivir is navigated by steamers as far as Seville. Pop. (1857) 501,050.

capital of the above province, on the left bank of the Guadalquivir, 62 miles N.N.E. of Cadiz, and 242 S.W. of Madrid. It is circular in shape, about 5 miles in circumference, and surrounded with Moorish walls, which have 15 gates and 66 towers. The portion of the walls near the Cordova gate is one of the most perfect specimens of ta pia, a sort of hard concrete, formed of mortar, rubble, and stones. These walls, as well as what is called the golden tower, from having been the place of deposit for the treasures of America, are said to be of Roman origin; but their structure is undoubtedly Moorish. The only real Roman remains in the town are two pillars in the Alameda Vieja, some well-preserved sugrundaria, or underground tombs for infants, a subterranean aqueduct, and some fragmentary remains. Of Moorish antiquities there is no lack, for the town is indeed more than half Moorish. The streets are narrow and crooked, forming a labyrinth very difficult for the stranger to find his way through; and the houses have open courtyards, surrounded by corridors, and covered in summer with awnings. These narrow streets and spacious houses are very suitable to the hot weather in summer, as they afford some shelter and relief from the rays of the sun, which are very oppressive in the wide streets and small houses that have been erected in the more modern parts of the town. The Alameda Vieja was formerly the chief public walk of Seville; it is planted with elen-trees, and adorned with fountains and statues; but now the Paseo de Christina, and Las Delicias, a beautiful walk along the river-side, are more frequented. The streets of Sierpe and Francos are also very fashionable promenades; and the Plaza del Dugue is used for the same purpose in the summer moonlight nights. The chief other public squares are the Plaza de Toros, or bull arena, which accommodates 14,000 spectators, and the Plaza de la Constitucion, which has a very picturesque appearance, with its Moorish arcades and balconies. The cathedral of Seville is one of the largest and grandest in Spain. It occupies the site of a former mosque, which was pulled down in 1480. The only portions that remain of the Moorish edifice are a horse-shoe gate, and the beautiful giralda or belfry, which was built in 1196. It was originally 250 feet high, and was the tower Seville, from which the Muezzin summoned the people to prayers; but in 1568 a very elegant belfry was added, raising the total height to 350 feet. A magnificent view is obtained from the summit, which is crowned by a vane, consisting of a bronze image of The Faith. The cathedral is of the same oblong form that the ancient mosque had; and its dimensions are—length, 481 feet; breadth, 315; height of the nave, 145 feet; of the cimborio, or transept dome, 171 feet. There are seven aisles, the two nearest the walls at each side being divided into chapels. At the west end of the central aisle is the tomb of Fernando, the son of Christopher Columbus; above which is erected, during Easter week, a large wooden chapel for the reception of the host. The painted windows of this cathedral are among the finest in Spain, mostly done by foreign artists in the 16th century. A rich Doric frontage, adorned with precious marbles, leads to the choir, and above it are two organs, one of which has 5300 pipes and 110 stops, being 50 more of the latter than that of Haarlem, and 20 more than that of Rotterdam. In the choir, the stalls, the archiepiscopal throne, and the carvings of the high altar are very fine. Behind the high altar is the Royal Chapel, which almost forms a church by itself. It is large and gloomy, and contains the tomb of Ferdinand III., who took the city from the Moors. Much superior to this chapel is the chapterhouse, 50 feet long by 34 broad. Notwithstanding the repeated spoliation it has suffered, this cathedral is a magazine of the fine arts, and contains many of the masterpieces of Murillo and other great painters of the Seville school. Its general appearance is a gorgeous gloom, quiet and solemn; and when the rays of the sun fall on the cross above the high altar, it has a very fine effect. Besides the cathedral, Seville contained at one time about 140 churches; but many of these were destroyed or turned to other uses during the French invasion. There are now about 30 parish churches, some of which are very fine. Among those destroyed by the French were the Magdalena, in which Murillo was baptized; and Santa Cruz, where he was buried. His house is still preserved, containing the room in which he used to paint. Many also of the numerous convents that Seville possessed have been suppressed. Next to the cathedral, however, the most splendid building is the Alcazar, or royal palace, which has some Roman columns from the old praetorian palace on the same site. The principal hall, that of the ambassadors', in this palace is not inferior to that in the Alhambra; and the small chapel of Isabella is covered with some of the finest Moorish tiling in Spain. The University of Seville was founded in 1504, and transferred in 1767 to the Jesuits' convent, after their expulsion. It has one of the best collections of paintings in the town, and is usually attended by upwards of 1000 students. There are many other fine buildings in the town, such as the Lonja, or Exchange, in the classical style, the town-hall, court-house, the former mint, the archiepiscopal palace, the corporation house, and the Casa de Pilatos, a palace now belonging to the Duke de Medina Celi, built in the 16th century, it is said, after the model of Pilate's house in Jerusalem. There is a very good museum of paintings, an academy of the fine arts, two theatres, several colleges, a normal seminary, and numerous elementary schools. The number of benevolent institutions was at one time very great, there having been in 1558 no fewer than 76 hospitals; but many of these have since been suppressed. There are still, however, a considerable number, and some of them are very large and magnificent establishments. Seville contains two prisons and a house of correction, which are large and well managed. The largest manufactory in Seville is an enormous one of tobacco, outside the walls, occupying an area of 662 feet by 524. It has 28 interior courts, and employs no fewer than 4000 persons in the manufacture of cigars. Earthenware, crystal, machinery, soap, leather, cotton, linen, and silk fabrics, hats, &c., are also manufactured here. The manufactured articles are, however, of very inferior quality. Seville is said to have been formerly much more important as a manufacturing town than it is at present; and although many of the statements about its former prosperity are evidently and egregiously exaggerated, there is no reason to doubt that at one time it was an important seat of the silk manufacture. From about the middle of the seventeenth to the beginning of the present century, this branch of industry, with many fluctuations, continued to maintain a high position; but subsequently it has very much fallen off. The trade of the place, too, has declined from the period when it enjoyed a monopoly of the commerce with America, as the difficulty of navigating the river with large vessels caused Seville to be supplanted by the more convenient port of Cadiz. The chief articles exported are wool, leather, silk, oil, oranges, quicksilver, lead and copper; while the imports consist principally of iron, steel, hardware, timber, cloth, cheese, butter, &c. The total value of the imports in 1856 was L558,893; and of the exports, L606,614. In the same year there entered the port 262 vessels; tonnage, 39,164; and there cleared 281; tonnage, 31,688. The first settlement that took place on the site of Seville was a Phoenician colony, under the name of Hispal, which has passed through the Hispalis of the Romans, and the Ishbiliyah of the Moors, into the Sevilla of the modern Spaniards. Little is known of its history previous to the Roman conquest of the Peninsula. Julius Caesar conquered it in 45 B.C., and patronized the town in opposition to Cordova, which had adhered to the cause of Pompey. It was, however, inferior in importance both to that town and to Gades, until the invasion of the Goths, who made it their capital; but in the sixth century the court was removed to the more central situation of Toledo. Seville opened its gates to the Moors in 711; and remained in their possession till 1247, when it was besieged by the Christians under Ferdinand III. of Castile and Leon. This siege, which issued in the capture of the city in the following year, is the most remarkable event by which the city has been distinguished. It was the capital of Spain from that period till the time of Charles V., who transferred that honour to Valladolid. In 1729 a treaty was concluded at Seville between England, France, and Spain. In 1810 it surrendered to the French under Soult, but was evacuated by them in 1812, after the battle of Salamanca. Many eminent men have been born in Seville or its vicinity. Among these are—the emperor Trajan; the philanthropic Las Casas; Rueda, the founder of Spanish comedy; Ulloa, the traveller; Murillo and Velasquez, the painters. Seville is, for size, the third city in Spain. Pop. (1857) 152,000.