Royal Tobacco Factory of Seville, Renaissance industrial building in old town Seville, Spain
The Royal Tobacco Factory of Seville is a massive stone factory building in the old town of Seville, now serving as the university headquarters. The rectangular compound measures 185 by 147 meters and displays numerous pilasters, small watchtowers, and a surrounding protective ditch with bridges at the entrances.
Construction began in 1728 under architect Sebastian Van der Borcht and was completed in the 1750s to become the largest tobacco manufactory in Europe. The building processed imported tobacco from American colonies and employed thousands of workers into the 1880s, before production moved to another site.
The opera composer chose this factory as the setting for his story of a spirited cigarette worker, whose character remains linked to the building today. Visitors can walk through the courtyards where women once sorted and rolled tobacco leaves at long tables.
The university uses the building today for administration and lectures, so some interior areas are closed to visitors during term time. You can still view the outer facade and the main courtyards from the entrance on Calle San Fernando, just a few minutes' walk from the Alcázar.
The building employed around 6000 women in the 1880s and was the largest industrial structure in Europe at that time. The workers sat in large halls and processed the tobacco by hand, often under difficult conditions and intense summer heat.
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