The Royal Tobacco Factory is a building built of stone in the 18th century. Since 1950, the rectory of the University of Seville has been housed in this very beautiful historical building. Before the rectory, there was an old tobacco factory here, which was the most prominent European institution at the time, and was a branch of the first European tobacco factory located in the immediate vicinity. This building is a very good and beautiful example of industrial Spanish architecture. In 1492, when the Spanish discovered America, they found a tobacco plant. They bring it to Spain as a souvenir and a great idea for the future. Then Seville managed to hold a monopoly on the tobacco trade from America.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the first tobacco producers started working in Seville, who were also the first tobacco producers in Europe. The original factory was located within the city walls, and from the 18th century the royal government of that time built the present building, the Royal Tobacco Factory. This building is the oldest industrial building that exists in Spain. It is also the largest industrial building in this country. The site of the factory once housed a Roman cemetery.
The factory started production in 1758, and in 1763 the first tobacco auctions were held in this factory. In the 18th century, the factory had over 1,000 workers, about 200 horses and 170 tobacco mills. Tobacco arrived in Seville from America (Virginia) but also from parts of America inhabited by Spanish colonies. Back then, huge "bundles" of tobacco were dragged by hand in the factory, and horses were in charge of turning the mills. Since then, Seville has been the only important producer of snuff in the Iberian Peninsula.
Later, cigars began to be produced in other Spanish cities as well. In Cadiz, Madrid, Alicante. The production of tobacco, on other continents, was a woman's job, but not in Spain, it was for that in Seville, and the job was exclusively men. By the beginning of the 19th century, 1,700 people worked in the factory. 700 of them made cigars, and 1000 only snuff. In the middle of the 20th century, the tobacco factory was moved to another place, and the rectorate of the University of Seville was opened in the factory building.
• Working hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 08:00 to 21:00. Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Ticket price: €9.50
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
