Busy autumn in Sevilla


Life in Seville - cultural life, that is - has definite seasons: January and February are both cold and dull, lit up only by Carnaval and the Dia de Andalucia puente (bank holiday). Then comes the holy trinity of Semana Santa, Feria and El Rocio, followed by months of school holidays in searing heat. In September everyone goes back to cole and work, every other year it's the Bienal de Flamenco, and by October people are starting to think about other major cultural events.


Now, suddenly, it's got very busy - over the next few weeks, there are some events of seriously international stature. First off: tonight is the opening night of the new Placido Domingo
Festival
, with the great tenor (this time singing a baritone role) performing the lead role in Massenet's opera Thais at the Teatro Maestranza. I'll be at a jazz concert next Thursday, of Cole Porter and George Gershwin songs, at the Alcazar.
Tomorrow night is the Noche en Blanco, which I blogged about on Monday, when many shops, museums and galleries stay open late. Rain allowing, I'll be there, starting off with a party at a members' only club. (Ooh, get her!)


This Saturday, there are Jornadas Europeas de Patrimonio all over Andalucia - as well as the Museo de Bellas Artes, Seville province is offering tours of three very different locations on Monday: a salt factory in Moron de la Frontera; the tile workshops in Triana; and the little-known Jardines de Forestier in Castilleja de Guzman, designed by the same French architect behind the Parque Maria Luisa. The last one is my ticket.


Then, next Friday, 2 November, the Seville Film Festival opens, which always has a great range of movies to see, from Andalucia, from Spain, and from all around Europe. This year there are 145, showing at cinemas in the Alameda, Plaza de Armas and Teatro Lope de Vega, until 10 November.
As someone who is endlessly fascinated by all things Andalucian, I can't wait for the section on director Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo, on whose family's antics Los Pelayos is based. You can see his five of his films set in Andalucia from the mid-70s to early 80s, including the comedy Vivir en Sevilla. The Panorama Andaluz section includes a film about Manuel Cortes, the left-wing mayor of Mijas (Malaga) who hid in his house for 30 years during the Dictatorship.


Also recently arrived is the Titanic Exhibition at the new (open less than a year) Pabellon de Navegacion, commemorating the centenary of the maritime tragedy. The exhibition is on until April 2013, so there's plenty of time see it. The pabellon is an Expo 92 building which was revamped and is now an excellent interactive space looking at Seville's naval history - after all, many merchants and adventurers set off from our own Arenal to sail to the New World in search of fame and fortune - and returned laden with gold. I'm going to see it tomorrow, and will be reporting back.
Will you be going to any of these events? What's going on this autumn where you live?
Blog published on 25 October 2012