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The first major town east of Seville, its old quarter located on a low hill overlooking a fertile plain, Carmona is a picturesque town armed with a 15th century tower built in imitation of Seville's Giralda. Carmona shares a similar history to Seville, and was an important Roman city. Pedro the Cruel built a palace within its castle, employed as his royal country residence. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1504, the Alcazar del Rey Pedro dominates the town's ridge with the massive ruins of Pedro's palace, now operating as a Parador.
Puerto de Sevilla, a gateway in the Moorish city walls, serves as the entrance to the town. It leads to the historic part of the city. Within the wall, narrow streets wander amidst Mudejar churches and Renaissance mansions. The Plaza San Fernando is tiny, dominated by Moorish buildings and there is a fruit and vegetable market here. The town hall dates from the 18th century and in its courtyard are weathered Roman mosaics. Santa Maria, a stately Gothic church built over the former main mosque, retains an elegant patio. It is topped by an historic Mudejar tower, part of the original minaret still observable. Just outside Carmona lies a Roman necropolis on a low hill amidst cypress trees and containing more than nine hundred family tombs dating from the second century BC to the fourth century AD. 
 Some larger tombs provide vestibules with stone benches used for funeral banquets. Several retain carved family emblems. There are mosaics and a partly excavated amphitheatre. Carmona is a quick stop but well worth a visit especially for its history. Mike Keenan writes a weekly newspaper column for the St. Catharines Standard and has been published in the Globe & Mail, Buffalo Spree, Stitches, West of the City and Pulse Magazine. Mike is an award-winning poet and former President of the Canadian Authors Association, Niagara and Vice-President of the national body. He belongs to the North American Travel Journalist Association and the Travel Media Association of Canada. He is editor of the zines, What Travel Writers Say: www.whattravelwriterssay.com and Synapse Magazine: www.synapsemagazine.ca. Photo Credits Karyn Keenan If you go Tourism Carmona: http://www.andalucia.com/province/sevilla/carmona/home.htm
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