Periódico: Journal of Tourism and Heritage Research
Fonte: Journal of Tourism and Heritage Research; Vol 3 No 1 (2020): Journal of Tourism and Heritage Research; 427-453
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Resumo: The aim of this article is to understand, by means of a touristic and heritage analysis, how the Plaza de España has become a highly significant setting for the city of Seville. Paradigm of the Architectural Heritage bequeathed by the Ibero-American Exposition, held in 1929, it is one of the first spaces of the city destined for an eminently touristic use, even though his Spanish creator, Aníbal González, contemplated the conversion of the whole set of buildings in Universidad Obrera (Labor University) after the great event. Nowadays, the Plaza de España welcomes a heterogeneous crowd of visitors and serves different purposes. On the one hand, it constitutes an ideal scenery for tourists who love Regionalism Architecture; on the other hand, an urban setting susceptible to host local and civic initiatives, including a unique film shooting set.
In this vein, adopting an innovative perspective is of growing importance to the extent that it is necessary to understand the Plaza de España not only as a space constructed within the framework of the Exposition or as an international film shooting set, but also as a lived space with different meanings. To do so, we have investigated its touristic and heritage history, showing the ins and outs of its social construction by residents and tourists. The findings support the different visions about this architectural monument, which encompasses a lived space (through civic practices), an idealized space for cinema (appearing in co-productions since the 1950s), and a space of tourist prestige in social media (“TripAdvisor” recognized it as the second most valued monument in the world, “Traveler's Choice 2018”).
