The City Council of the Spanish city of Seville has approved the development of a cultural route that portrays Protestantism in the city, a little-known and often forgotten chapter of a very important part of its history.

The project comes from the Evangelical Council of Andalusia (CEAA), the legal representative of the evangelical churches before the Andalusian government, with which it signed a collaboration agreement on 24 May.

Antonio Simoni, historian, professor of Protestant history at the Assemblies of God Faculty of Theology and president of the Evangelical Council of Cordoba, is the creator and coordinator, with the support of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE).

Ready by January 2023

Antonio Simoni and other members of the board of the CEAA recently met with Juan Carlos Cabrera, deputy mayor of Seville; José Antonio Fernández, director general of historical heritage; and Cristóbal López, advisor to the city council and secretary general of Socialist Christians (a group bringing together Christians in the Social Democratic party PSOE).

The support of the local authorities for the route was total, due to its historical and cultural interest.

A brochure of the route will be developed, its content will be thoroughly developed, and it will be officially presented to the media and society in January 2023 with the seal of the City Council. Nonetheless, the Evangelical Council will be in charge of the management of the route.

Protestant impact in Seville

A few months ago, the Seville City Council approved the naming of some of its new streets and squares, including relevant female figures of the 16th century Spanish Reformation in the city, who were persecuted and condemned by the Inquisition.

Despite the intolerance and persecution of dissidents by the so-called Holy Inquisition, prominent Sevillians who embraced the Protestant faith not only religiously, but also culturally, socially and in defence of freedoms, had a great impact and left a clear mark on the city, which is now being rescued from oblivion.

Tolerance and coexistence

Its promoters do not seek to stir up controversy or feed old wounds, but on the contrary, to heal and normalise an important part of the history of Spain, integrating it into the cultural map of Seville and Spain today.

This route of Seville Protestantism will be a new cultural venture that will complement and enrich the current cultural offer, as well as being an example of tolerance and coexistence.

The project continues the work begun with the municipal monument to the Spanish monk Casiodoro de Reina in the Sevillian town of Santiponce, from where he fled to escape the Inquisition after embracing the Protestant faith; becoming the first translator of the Bible.

The CEAA plans to extend the creation of cultural and historical routes of the Protestant footprint to other Andalusian provinces, as it is a project in progress.