A visit to Seville Heritage Park on Jamaica's
north coast will take you on a journey through
centuries, to the very beginning of the island's
history and culture.
Located just outside the parish capital of St.
Ann's Bay, and 11km from the tourist Mecca of
Ocho Rios, Seville is known for its beauty and
historical authenticity. Here you will find
evidence of Jamaica's rich culture revealed in
artifacts from our Taino,
Spanish, British, and African ancestry.
Seville is the site of the town of Maima which
was established by tainos, the first inhabitants
of Jamaica. Here as well as at other settlements
across the island, the Tanios fashioned their
canoes, built their houses, fished in the rivers
and the blue Caribbean Sea while leading their
peaceful lives. An exhibition of artifacts at
Seville will help you to understand how these
first Jamaicans lived
THE FIRST ENCOUNTER
On the evening of May 5, 1494, Christopher
Columbus, the Spanish Explorer, landed at
Seville and became the first European to
tread upon Jamaican soil. "The most
beautiful place I have ever set eyes" is how
Columbus described the island. He lived here
for over a year after he was shipwrecked.
In 1509 the Spaniards under Esquivel began
building Sevilla la Neuva in the middle of
the village of Maima. They subsequently
abandoned it in 1534.
On your of this historic site, you'll
discover the ruins of the Spanish church of
Peter Martyr, the ruins of the Spanish
fortified castle (Governor's House ) and the
base of the Spanish Sugar Mill. Most recent
excavations have revealed
a Spanish artisan
workshop estimated to be one of the earliest
so far discovered in the new world.
THEN CAME THE BRITISH
In 1655 the British came, capturing the
island from the Spanish. Building on the
remains of Sevilla, they established a sugar
plantation they called—as we still do
today—Seville.
SOTE OF THE ENCOUNTER
It was here at Seville that the cultures of
three worlds – Amerindian, Africa and
European had their first encounter and,
through good times and bad, gave birth to
modern Jamaica.
