Seville Spring Fair takes place just two weeks after
Semana Santa .
The feria usually starts on a Saturday and runs nine days
to the following Sunday night.
Actually, the feria officially starts at midnight on the
Sunday night.
The Feria began to take hold in 1846. After initial resistance
from Mayor Montelirio, the promoters, Ybarra and Bonaplata
obtained support from the Count. This lack of confidence
at first had to do with an existing local livestock fair
(Mairena del Alcor). This along with another important
horse fair closeby (Feria del Caballo, in Jerez) led to
doubts on the success of a similar event. In April, 1847,
the Feria was officially established, lasting for a period
of three days. Though it was in 1865 when the Feria de
Abril finally received it first big launching. As soon
as it was seen as viable, the City Council tackled as
series of structural reforms making this a provincial,
regional, national and international showcase of the city.
The city and its residents soon made this event their
own.
In 1899 the Royal Fair (Real de la Feria, name which the
grounds received thanks to support from Queen Isabel II,
earlier on), begins to acquire a style of the event similar
to today’s, once institutionalized and fully decorated.
The City Council (1910) publicized the Feria and its popular
attractions in brochures produced by their own office.
This brochure cited this irrefutable date demonstrating
the influx of foreign visitors. During this period the
Feria was enriched with lovely floral displays, sport
events, horse races and great festivities held in the
Maestranza Bullring.
Sevilla guide
