10 Weirdest Things to Do in Seville
By: Vagabondish

By Karen McCann

When I first arrived in Seville, Spain, I was dazzled by all the famous monuments, such as the cathedral and the Moorish-style royal palace. But now that I’ve lived here for seven years, writing and blogging about the city, I’ve had a chance to explore the more oddball locations that most tourists miss. If you want to see places that will really give you something to write home about, take a little walk with me on Seville’s weirder side.

The Spanish Inquisition Museum

If you’re expecting gruesome torture devices, you’ll be disappointed. In fact, they have whitewashed the story to the point that it’s more of an intellectual commentary on human prejudice. But it is still unnerving to wander around the remains of the medieval Castle of San Jorge (St. George) and see exhibits on how the priests stabled horses, cooked food, etc. when they got home after a long day of burning people at the stake. Plaza del Altozano, in the Triana Market building.

The Purgatory Tiles

There is a famous set of tiles on the outer wall of San Pedro’s church depicting people suffering in purgatory so they can eventually get into heaven. I love the way that nobody seems to be in real torment; some appear irritated while others merely look bemused, as if they were at a rather peculiar cocktail party, naked, and flames happened to break out. The artist always tucked in a small bird as his signature. Legend has it that if you can spot the bird in this scene, you’ll soon be married. Having trouble finding the bird? Visit my blog http://www.enjoylivingabroad.com/my-blog.html and click on Purgatory in the archives. Calle de Doña María Coronel, 12.

The Shoemaker’s Tomb

Across the river in the Triana district, the 13th century church Santa Ana provides another method of predicting whether you’ll soon be walking down the aisle. An ancient tomb built into the wall is said to be the final resting place of a shoemaker, some say from Africa. For reasons that have been lost in the dim mists of antiquity, it is said that if you kick this tomb, you’ll be married within the year. The church fathers got tired of all the damage, so they erected a little iron railing around it – but positioned it just close enough that if you really stretch, your foot can connect solidly with the side of the tomb. Plaza Santa Ana.

Saint Angela of the Cross

One of the city’s most beloved saints is Angela of the Cross. A poor, sickly and pious girl, she was sent home from various convents she tried to join because of ill health. So she founded the Instituto de las Hermanas de la Cruz (Sisters of the Company of the Cross) to help the poor and the sickly, and she accomplished legendary good works before she died in 1932 at the age of 86. Her “miraculously preserved” body is available for viewing under an altar at her convent, and is looking remarkably rosy and plump after 80 years. Calle San Angela de la Cruz.

The Little Science Museum of Horrors

They call it Casa del Ciencia, the House of Science, but it’s more like a House of Horrors. It’s part mad scientist’s laboratory, with glass jars of preserved bats and other beasts, and part animal morgue, with birds and the endangered Iberian lynx laid out on slabs, often with toe tags. One poor buzzard has his beak taped shut, like the victim of a mob hit. My most recent blog http://www.enjoylivingabroad.com/my-blog.html has photos of the exhibits and the spectacular 1929 Peruvian pavilion that houses them. Calle Maria Louisa.

The Head of Pedro the Cruel

Late one night in the 14th century, King Pedro the Cruel killed a nobleman in a secret and illegal duel. When the family demanded the killer be found and brought to justice, Pedro announced that the killer’s head would be nailed to the wall where the duel took place. The next day, the king showed up at the wall with a wooden chest. He swore it held the killer’s head but that the identity would be kept secret to avoid starting a feud. Pedro had the box mounted on the wall and secured with iron bands. After his death, the box was opened and it was revealed Pedro had hung up a stone carving of his own head. Calle Corral del Rey.

The Blood of Christ

There’s a famous bar called Garlochi that is lavishly decorated in the style of the Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions, with religious statues, flowers, incense, candles, and sometimes a bartender in a priest’s cassock. The signature drink is Sangre de Cristo, the Blood of Christ, which is served in a chalice. Theories vary as to its exact contents, but there is no doubt about the high alcohol content and the bad hangover that follows. I always advise visitors to steer clear of this beverage and they can never resist trying it. Consider yourself warned. Calle Boteros, 26.

The Bar of the Dead

Almost directly across from the Garlochi is a corner bar with no name run by a fellow with corpse-like pallor who is popularly known as El Muerto, the Dead Man. The place hasn’t been painted or cleaned in decades, and the few decorative objects are covered with dust thick as a bear’s pelt. Opening and closing hours are erratic. But the drinks are cheap and the clientele can be colorful. Just be very, very careful not to utter the word “muerto” as the bartender is sensitive about being mocked and has been known to eject clients into the street. Calle Boteros, no number.

The Man Who Turned to Stone

Back in the 15th century, citizens of the city were required to kneel down whenever a priest passed through the streets carrying the communion host, a common sight during the spring processions. One fellow refused, scoffing at his companions for “kneeling like women.” There was a clap of thunder, and the man was turned to stone on the spot. (I’m not saying I believe it, but that’s what the folks around here tell me.) The remains of a much-damaged stone torso can still be seen, and locals still touch it in passing for luck. Calle Hombre de Piedra (Man of Stone Street).

The San Fernando Cemetery

This enormous cemetery is filled with the elaborate tombs of famous matadors, flamenco dancers, singers and gypsies, some with life-size statues of the departed carried aloft by a weeping entourage. I hope to have a sendoff like this myself some day and keep hinting about it to family and friends. Some larger crypts are propped open, awaiting new arrivals. The grounds are big enough to provide a pleasant afternoon’s stroll, if you don’t mind the company of ghosts. Avenida Dr. Fedriani.

Seville never ceases to amaze, charm, baffle and entertain me. I’ve just finished a book about living here called Dancing in the Fountain: How to Enjoy Living Abroad. (For details, see www.enjoylivingabroad.com). The title comes from one blazing hot night when my husband and I found ourselves sitting on the edge of a big stone fountain. Dabbling our feet in the cool water, pretty soon we were wading, then dancing in the fountain. It’s technically legal to do this on very hot nights in Seville, but an old man passing by growled, “Hey you two, is that any way to behave? You wouldn’t do that back where you come from.” And that’s the whole point. Living overseas, you get to try things you’d never do back home.

When I run across offbeat travel moments anywhere in the world, I share them on my blog http://www.enjoylivingabroad.com/my-blog.html, my Facebook page www.facebook.com/enjoylivingabroad and Twitter www.twitter.com/EnjoyLvngAbroad. It’s an ongoing conversation about the quirkiness of the world, and I’d love for you to be a part of it. Have you visited any places that seemed weird, spooky, outrageous, romantic or just plain odd? Send me comments and photos!