Origins of the April Fair
The origins of the April Fair are not Andalusian. It was initiated by a Catalan and a Basque who decided to organize a livestock fair in Seville, leading to its first edition in 1847.
In 1877, during Queen Isabel II’s visit to the April Fair, the painter Gustavo Bacarisas created the famous paper lanterns, inspired by Chinese-style lamps, to impress the queen. Since then, lanterns have become an iconic element of the fair. Originally, the April Fair was located in the Prado de San Sebastián, but in 1973, the fairground was moved to Los Remedios, where it is currently located.
Origins of the April Fair
The famous flamenca dresses are inspired by the attire worn by peasant women, and women from the capital drew inspiration from them for the flattering appearance of this outfit, making it the typical attire of the fair. In 1990, horses could not participate in the fair, and the famous carriages, riders, and amazons could not be seen. This was due to an epidemic of equine plague that affected the entire region of Andalusia. The street dedicated to amusements or ‘cacharritos’ is known as the ‘Street of Hell’ because of the noise produced by its more than 100 attractions. It is the largest temporary amusement park in Spain, and once the fair is over, all the attractions are removed. Most of the fair’s casetas (private tents) are private. However, El Real has a large number of public casetas open to everyone.
Sevilla Habla Spanish courses in Seville
Sevilla Habla cursos de español en Sevilla
