In 1929, Seville hosted an Ibero-American exhibition. The Expo, which included the building of the Pavilions in what is today the Maria Luisa Park, transformed the city. The Gardens originally belonged to the San Telmo Palace, the then residence of the Dukes of Montpensier.

Although, initially, the Exhibition was only planned to include those American countries which had belonged to Spain or Portugal, it was King Alfonso XIII who really pushed for the US to take part. Alfonso XIII was a great admirer of the U.S. In this view he was certainly considerably influenced by his sister, Princess Eulalia. This Princess had travelled to North America to represent the King, a few years before, and had returned with a very high opinion of the greatness, energy and abilities of the young North- American democracy.

Once it was agreed that the U.S. should take part, six well-known U.S. architects were invited to show photographs of their most representative works in the Hispano-American style, or “Spanish Mission style”. William Templeton Johnson, of San Diego, California was the winner.

Johnson created three buildings, two of which were temporary, and one permanent. One was a cinema. The second was used to display the great technological advances of the U.S. at that time. For example, a beam of light was installed to count the number of visitors passing through the door. This was in 1929!
The third building housed a large library of books on the History of the United States. There were also works of Art from the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian Institute and the Departments of State and the Treasury, amongst others.

After the Expo, and for the next 75 years, the Pavilion housed the U.S. Consulate.
In 2004, the Seville Town Hall ceded the Pavilion to house the MP Collection of Contemporary Art and the headquarters of the Valentín de Madariaga-MP Foundation.

Fortunately, it would be very difficult not to associate the pavilion with the United States. It has seen so much of the history and lives of the hundreds of American citizens who have lived in or visited Seville. However, we must do something positive to ensure that the presence of the U.S. community in Seville, and of the whole American people, is kept alive in the Pavilion.

Carmen Calleja de Pablo
Vice-president of the Valentín de Madariaga-MP Foundation.