Macarena, Seville

La Macarena is a neighborhood of Seville, Spain, as well as a district, although the two are not entirely coterminous. The neighborhood is best known as being home to the "Virgen de la Macarena" (actually "Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza de la Macarena"), whose wooden statue dates from the 16th Century and can be found in the Basilica.

Besides the Basilica de la Macarena, there are a number of other points of interest in this traditional Sevillan neighborhood. The largest surviving portion of the medieval city walls, built largely by the ruling Arabs prior to the city's reconquest in the 13th Century, spans from the Basilica ("Puerta de la Macarena") to the "Puerta de Cordoba", across the street from an old Monastery ("Convento de los Capuchinos"). This wall also divides the ancient zone of "La Macarena" from the modern zone, which forms part of the District by the same name.

The neighbourhood lends its name to the 1996 summer hit, "Macarena" by locals Los del Rio.

Historical Macarena

Like the rest of the historical center's perimeter, the wall that runs through the "Barrio Macarena" is punctuated by a number of gates, the major ones having served as entry points into the city (Cordoba, Macarena, Barqueta). The origin of the name "Macarena", however, predates Seville's medieval layout, however, and probably stems from the land owned by a Roman citizen by the name of Macarenus.

Although this also existed as a residential zone during Arab times, it was not until after the Reconquest by King Ferdinand III of Castile that the area began to take on its present street plan. The area has historically been quite marshy in comparison to much of Seville, due in part to a depression in elevation. The Alameda, in fact, used to be a lagoon.

The Neighborhood Today

The Parliament of Andalusia is found in the modern part of the Macarena, although like a number of structures it predates the 20th Century construction by many centuries. The actual Parliament was once a grand hospital ("El Hospital de las Cinco Llagas"). Further down the "Ronda Historica", which is the broad thoroughfare that circles the enormous historic center of Seville is the "Convento de los Capuchinos", and further away from the city walls, on the outskirts of the District can be found the "Convento de los Jeronimos".

The "Facultad de Medicina" (School of Medicine) and the "Facultad de Odontologia" (School of Dentistry) of the "Universidad de Sevilla" are located here on the same campus, which also shares space with a municipal playground and the "Torre de los Perdigones".

While the "Distrito de la Macarena" is well-defined by the municipal government, it does not include the traditional heart of the Barrio Macarena, and most Spaniards when referring to La Macarena are thinking of a zone encapsulating two halves: most of the modern district and a now ill-defined portion of the "Distrito Historico". In general the Barrio Macarena on the historic side of the wall extends north to the Guadalquivir and west to the line formed by the "Puerta de la Barqueta" and the southern end of the "Alameda de Hércules".

Compared to the rest of the historic "Centro", La Macarena is decidedly working class and proletariat, giving it a very "authentic" feel, light-years away from the tourist economy of such centre neighborhoods as "Santa Cruz" and "El Arenal".

In the May 2007 municipal elections, more than 60% of district's population voted to the left of center, mainly for the governing Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE).

Geographical Markers

Besides sites already mentioned, the neighborhood is also home to "Plaza San Gil", "Plaza Pumarejo", and the "Calle Feria". The latter is home to the oldest marketplace in Seville, dating at least to early Arab times.

Neighboring "Centro" barrios are La Campana and the outlying Plaza de Armas zone. The modern half of the Barrio Macarena is bordered by the district of San Pablo/Santa Justa to the south, "Nervión" beyond that, by "Polígono Norte" and "Pino Montano" to the north and east.

Transportation

The Seville Metro, whose first line will be operational in 2008, will have two subway stations in the neighborhood: "Macarena" (Line 3) and "Dr. Leal Castaño" (Line 4). Line 3 will run the length of the city from north to south, and Line 4 will be the sole circular line. No expected dates have been announced for their completion (or even for the commencement of construction, in fact).

Until the construction of Lines 3 and 4, one can get to and from La Macarena by bus. The TUSSAM C3/C4 lines are circular, running clockwise and counter clockwise all along the periphery of the historical center, and has many stops in the neighborhood. Lines C1/C2 are also circular, and connect La Macarena with more outer neighorhoods, such as "Nervión.

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