Triana (Seville)

Triana is a neighbourhood and administrative district on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River in the city of Seville, Spain. Like other neighborhoods that were historically separated from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is located on an almost-island between two branches of the Guadalquivir, narrowly linked to the mainland in the north. Two other districts are also usually included in this area, Los Remedios to the south and La Cartuja to the north.

Residents of Triana have traditionally been called trianeros; they identify strongly with the neighborhood and consider it different in character from the rest of Seville. Triana has a traditional pottery and tile industry, a vibrant flamenco culture, and its own festivals; it has played an important role in the development of Sevillan culture and tradition.

Legend holds that Triana was founded as a Roman colony by the emperor Trajan, who was born in the nearby city of Italica; the name "Triana" supposedly derived from the original denomination of Trajana. The name may be a combination of the Latin tri, meaning "three", and the Celtiberian ana, meaning "river", since the Guadalquivir river split into three branches nearby. Another hypothesis suggests that the derivation of "Triana" is from the Latin expression Trans amnem, meaning "those beyond the river".

The first settlements in the Triana area are dated from the Roman period. During Muslim rule the neighborhood developed around a castle built in the 10th century. Triana was the last defence of Seville from the west before the city-walls. It was strategically important because of its position between Seville proper and both the coast and the Aljarafe region of grainfields, vineyards, and olive orchards. The construction of a pontoon bridge (puente de barcas, literally, boat-bridge) joining Triana and Seville in 1171 during the reign of Caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf greatly facilitated the development of the neighborhood. Because of Triana's strategic role in the defence of city, Ferdinand III of Castile destroyed the citadel (Castillo de Triana) and the bridge before taking Seville in 1248.

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