Costurero de la Reina

Costurero de la Reina stands in Seville’s Maria Luisa Park, beside gardens once belonging to the Palace of San Telmo. Its small hexagonal form resembles a castle, with a turret rising from each corner. Designed by Juan Talavera y de la Vega, the pavilion introduced Seville to the neomudéjar style. Large arched windows and two-tone brick create ochre-yellow and crimson stripes across its walls.

Built in 1893, the structure served as a guardhouse or garden retreat rather than a royal residence. The surrounding gardens entered Seville’s care after Luisa Fernanda of Bourbon donated most of them following her husband’s death. A local legend links the pavilion to Queen María de las Mercedes, who supposedly came here to sew and rest in the sun. María de las Mercedes died in 1878, fifteen years before construction began, so the story belongs to local tradition rather than documented history.

A restoration in 2007 repaired the structure and adapted its interior for practical use. The ground floor now houses the municipal tourist information office, while the upper floor hosts meetings and events. A small front garden provides space for gatherings and frames the entrance. The striped brickwork and four corner turrets leave the clearest impression as you continue through the park.