University of Seville

Why go

The university occupies the monumental former Royal Tobacco Factory. Courtyards and the moat-like perimeter reveal the scale of the eighteenth-century industrial complex. At University of Seville, compare both closely. University of Seville rewards a slower circuit. University of Seville rewards a slower circuit.

What to look for

• The university occupies the monumental former Royal Tobacco Factory.
• Courtyards and the moat-like perimeter reveal the scale of the eighteenth-century industrial complex.

The full story

The Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country. It is located in the 2,000-year old artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir. The building itself dates back to the 15th century when the Catholic Kings recovered the area from the Moors, a history reflected in its architecture. It is located centrally in the city next to the prestigious Hotel Alfonso XIII which hosts Europe's royalty and international celebrities. The main building of University of Seville is known as the "Old Tobacco Factory", because of the building's original use. Built in the 18th century, Seville's tobacco factory was the largest industrial building in the world at that time and it remained a tobacco factory until the 1950s. This beautiful building is also the setting for the very well-known opera by Bizet, Carmen.

Useful to know

• See the exterior in daylight, then confirm official access before planning an interior visit.
• Combine it with nearby stops to avoid crossing the city twice in the strongest afternoon heat.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.