Place · Spain
The history of Sevilla
Assembled from 2 dug tiles · 30 sourced records · 749 BC–2011 · last reviewed 27 September 2026
Plaza de la Encarnación in Sevilla began as ground that carried Roman floors, a Muslim-era wall and gate, and Visigothic remains, later home to an Augustinian convent razed on Napoleonic orders in 1810. A 1990 market and car park project struck those buried layers, freezing work for years until Metropol Parasol, a timber canopy, opened above the ruins in 2011.
These are the individual spots Strata has dug in Sevilla — not a guide to the town, but a record of what happened on particular ground.
Digs in Sevilla
The parking lot that dug up two thousand yearsA routine market project underfoot froze for over a decade after workers hit Roman ruins. Facultad de Bellas Artes
749 BC–2011 The car park that dug up two thousand years
A market project hit Roman ruins here and the site stayed frozen for nineteen years. Metropol Parasol
749 BC–2011
Sevilla in layers
800 BC to 1248 AD
Records track this ground through Spal, Hispalis, Išbīliya and Sevilla — the same place renamed by Phoenicians, Romans, Muslim rulers and Christians in turn. OpenHistoricalMap
c. 749 BC
Long before Hispalis, OpenHistoricalMap records this ground as Spal, an early settlement dating back to around 749 BC. OpenHistoricalMap
205 BC–476
The gazetteer of the ancient world records Hispalis, mentioned in 28 ancient texts, as the city that once stood on this ground before it became Seville. topostext.org
before the 16th century
Excavations beneath the Plaza de la Encarnación uncovered layers of occupation stretching back nearly 2,000 years, now shown in the Antiquarium museum inside Metropol Parasol. tuguiadesevilla.com
Roman period
An ancient gate of the Abbadí wall of Isbiliya, the Roman city's northern boundary, once stood at the center of this square. Sevillapedia
548 AD
Theudis, King of the Visigoths, died in Seville in 548 after ruling the kingdom from Spain. Wikidata
712-1248
Between 712 and 1248, when Seville was under Islamic rule, this ground was known as Išbīliya, before the Christian conquest renamed it Sevilla. OpenHistoricalMap
1076–1077
Joseph ibn Migash, a Spanish rabbi, and Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi, an Andalusian judge and scholar, were both born in the city in 1076 and 1077. Wikidata
1126
Al-Tutili, a Moorish writer, died in Seville in 1126, one of the oldest individually named deaths tied to this city. Wikipedia
1239
Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati, an Andalusian botanist, died in the city in 1239, part of a long line of scholars who lived and died here under Muslim rule. Wikipedia
1348 and 1357
The Monasterio de Santa Inés nearby holds the burials of Castilian nobles Juan de la Cerda and Luis de la Cerda, from the 14th century. Wikidata
1348
Luis de la Cerda, a French admiral who died in 1348, was buried at the Monasterio de Santa Inés, 132 meters from this spot. Wikidata
1356-1868
The Iglesia de San Miguel stood 341 meters from here from 1356 until it was demolished in 1868. OpenHistoricalMap
1357
Juan de la Cerda, a Castilian noble who died in 1357 at age thirty, was also buried at the Monasterio de Santa Inés. Wikidata
1400
The Iglesia de San Andrés, dated to 1400, stands a short walk from here and carries the bien de interés cultural protection. Wikidata
14th century, listed 1912
The Iglesia de Santa Catalina, 315 meters away, was built in the fourteenth century and declared a protected cultural property in 1912. Wikipedia
1468
Juan de Padilla, a Spanish writer, was born in Seville in 1468. Wikidata
1521
Leonor Manrique de Lara y Castro founded the Convent of Regina Angelorum in 1521, giving its name to the Regina district beside this square. Historia de Sevilla a través de sus calles
1591
Juan de la Barrera donated his houses in 1591 to found the Convent of the Encarnación, on condition he was buried there and the altar dedicated to the Annunciation. tuguiadesevilla.com
1599
The Church of San Pedro, a Gothic-Mudéjar building begun in the 14th century, is where the painter Diego Velázquez was baptized in 1599. Wikipedia
1599
The painter Diego Velázquez was baptized in 1599 at the Church of San Pedro, a Gothic-Mudéjar church built in the fourteenth century, 75 meters away. Wikipedia
16th century onward
The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija, dating to the 16th century and remodeled over centuries, displays Roman mosaics and antiquities inside its courtyards. Wikipedia
from 1600
The Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija, 236 meters from this spot, dates to the sixteenth century and now displays Roman mosaics inside its walls. Wikipedia
1647-1652
Between 1647 and 1652 a great plague swept the city, killing an estimated 500,000 people across the region. List of disasters in Spain by death toll - Wikipedia
Questions about Sevilla
What is Plaza de la Encarnación known for historically?
It is known for the Roman, Visigothic and Muslim remains found beneath it, and for the Metropol Parasol, a vast timber canopy raised above those preserved ruins in 2011 after a market and parking project was halted by the discovery.
What happened at Plaza de la Encarnación in 1990?
Workers building a planned market hall and car park struck Roman floors, a Muslim-era wall and gate, and Visigothic remains beneath the surface, stopping the project for years.
What stood on this ground before the ruins were found?
An Augustinian convent had risen there in 1591, standing until 1810, when Napoleon's brother ordered it torn down.
When did the Metropol Parasol open?
It opened in 2011, rising as a wooden canopy over the old market square above the exposed Roman, Visigothic and Muslim ruins.
What else happened near this ground in Sevilla's history?
Diego Velázquez was baptized a few steps away in 1599, a Dominican convent founded in 1521 named the neighbouring district, and a Renaissance palace nearby still holds Roman mosaics.
Was this site connected to any earlier settlements?
The ground has carried at least four names across its history, from Spal around 749 BC through Hispalis in the Roman and Iberian city to its Islamic-era name between 712 and 1248.