Seville was a Roman "colonia" since 45BC. The important city got looted by the Vandals in 428 and developed into a Bishopric seat under Visigothic rule. After the Moors had defeated the Visigoths in the Battle of Guadalete, the conquered Seville and made it the capital of a province. Normans devastated Seville in 844 but Seville got rebuilt and flourished under the different Moorish dynasties.
In 1248 Seville was conquered by the troops of Ferdinand III of Castile. The emigration of hundredthousands of Moors to Northern Africa led to a decrease of economics in the whole area. Seville recovered in the 16th and 17th century, when it became the hub of Spanish maritime trade. During this period, the port of Seville had a monopoly on overseas trade. Vespucci and Magellan planned and started their voyages here.

The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville is housed in a building dating from 1594, which originally housed the monastery of the Order of Merceder Calzada de la Asunción.

The museum was founded in 1835. It houses a collection of mainly Spanish fine art from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century.

Manuel Gonzales Santos / 1875 - 1949

La Santera / ca. 1930