Cádiz

• 1. Phoenician Origins And Early History

  ›

  The Phoenicians established a trading post on the narrow isthmus of southern Spain in the 7th century BC. They named this settlement Gadir, meaning wall or stronghold, according to numismatic inscriptions found at the site. Archaeological evidence dates the earliest strata on the ground to the 9th century BC, though tradition places the founding around 1100 BC. Ancient Gadir occupied two small islands called Erytheia and Kotinoussa near the mouth of the River Guadalete. These islands are now connected by land, but ancient ruins beneath the modern city remain largely unexcavated. Excavations have focused on southern cemeteries where Phoenician sarcophagi from 400 to 470 BC were discovered. The Phoenicians founded Cádiz to access metals including gold, tin, and especially silver. By the 6th century BC, disturbances within Phoenicia led to the fall of Tyre to the Babylonians in 573 BC. This vacuum was later filled by Carthage, which rose as a predominant power in the region during subsequent eras.

  29

• 2. Roman Colony And Ancient Legacy

  ›

  Julius Caesar visited Gades as a quaestor and saw a statue of Alexander the Great there while he himself had achieved nothing memorable at the same age. Roman citizenship was bestowed upon all inhabitants of the city in 49 BC. By Augustus's census, Cádiz housed more than five hundred equites, a concentration rivaled only by Patavium and Rome itself. An aqueduct provided fresh water to the town, running across open sea for its final leg because the island's supply was poor. The poet Juvenal began his famous tenth satire with words describing lands existing from Gades as far as Dawn and the Ganges. A temple dedicated to Melqart stood on the south end of the island and was famed for its wealth and oracle. Some historians believe the columns of this temple were the origin of the myth of the pillars of Hercules. The temple remained standing during the 1st century according to the Life of Apollonius of Tyana. The city fell to Romans under Scipio Africanus in 206 BC after serving as a depot for Hannibal's conquest of southern Iberia. Hannibal sacrificed there to Hercules before setting off on his journey in 218 BC to cross the Alps.

  17813

• 3. Moorish Rule And Reconquest Era

  ›

  Under Moorish rule between 711 and 1262, the city was called Qādis, whence the modern Spanish name derives. A famous Muslim legend developed concerning an idol over 100 cubits tall whose magic blocked the strait of Gibraltar with contrary winds and currents. Abd-al-Mumin supposedly destroyed the idol, permitting ships to sail through the strait once more. In 1217, Frisian crusaders en route to the Holy Land burned the city and destroyed its congregational mosque. The Moors were ousted by Alphonso X of Castile in 1262. During the Age of Exploration, Christopher Columbus sailed from Cádiz on his second and fourth voyages. The greater part of the old town was consumed in a major fire in 1569. In April 1587, Francis Drake occupied the harbor for three days, captured six ships, and destroyed 31 others. This event became known in England as Singeing the King of Spain's Beard. The attack delayed the sailing of the Spanish Armada by a year. In 1596, an Anglo-Dutch fleet under the Earls of Essex and Nottingham captured, looted, and occupied the city for almost a month.

  2224

• 4. Golden Age Of Atlantic Trade

  ›

  The sand bars of the Guadalquivir forced the Spanish government to transfer American trade from Seville to Cádiz in 1717. Cádiz now commanded better access to the Atlantic Ocean. Although the empire itself was declining, Cádiz experienced another golden age because of this new importance. Many historic buildings in the Old City date from this era when it became one of Spain's greatest and most cosmopolitan cities. Trading communities from many countries settled here, chief among which were the French and Anglo-Irish. Irish Catholics were prohibited by penal laws from owning land or entering professions in Ireland but could trade more freely in Spain. On the 12th of October 1778, the right to trade with the Americas expanded to most ports of mainland Spain. This action brought the monopoly of trade hitherto enjoyed by the Port of the Bay of Cádiz to an end. During the Napoleonic Wars, British forces blockaded Cádiz from 1797 until the Peace of Amiens in 1802. The blockade resumed again from 1803 until the outbreak of the Peninsular War in 1808.

  25262732

• 5. Political Crucible And Constitutional Birth

  ›

  Cádiz became the seat of Spain's military high command and Cortes for the duration of the war against invading French forces. It was here that the liberal Spanish Constitution of 1812 was proclaimed on the 19th of March 1812 in Plaza San Antonio. Citizens revolted in 1820 to secure a renewal of this constitution, and the revolution spread successfully until Ferdinand VII was imprisoned in Cádiz. French forces secured the release of Ferdinand in the 1823 Battle of Trocadero and suppressed liberalism for a time. In 1868, Cádiz was once again the seat of a revolution resulting in the eventual abdication and exile of Queen Isabella II. The Cortes of Cádiz decided to reinstate the monarchy under King Amadeo just two years later. The Plaza de España is dominated by the Monument to the Constitution of 1812 which came into being as a consequence of demolishing part of the old city wall. Work on this monument began in 1912 and finished in 1929. The square serves as an extension of the old Plazuela del Carbón.

  1932

• 6. Architectural Landmarks And Urban Layout

  ›

  The Old Town represents a large area within the remnants of the city walls characterized by narrow winding alleys connecting large plazas. Most landmark buildings are situated in these plazas including Plaza de Mina, Plaza San Antonio, and Plaza de Candelaria. The Cathedral of Cádiz known locally as the New Cathedral took 116 years to build from 1722 due to changes in design over that period. Vicente Acero supervised work initially but resigned before completion. The largely Baroque-style cathedral underwent major changes and was completed in neoclassical style. The Gran Teatro Falla was built between 1884 and 1905 over the remains of a previous theater destroyed by fire in August 1881. Adolfo Morales de los Rios served as architect while Juan Cabrera de la Torre oversaw construction. The Tavira Tower stands 45 meters above sea level and was chosen by the Navy as their official lookout in 1787. Since 1994 there is a camera obscura projecting panoramic views of the Old City onto a concave disc. The Roman theatre discovered in 1980 is the second-largest Roman theatre in the world surpassed only by Pompeii.

  3334353631

• 7. Cultural Vibrancy And Carnival Traditions

  ›

  The Spanish spoken in Cádiz reflects features of Western Andalusian and urban dialects with unique characteristics like dropping r at the end of syllables. The Carnival of Cádiz is one of the best known carnivals in the world featuring satirical groups called chirigotas performing comical musical pieces. Typically a chirigota consists of seven to twelve performers who sing act and improvise accompanied by guitars kazoos bass drums and noise-makers. Other performer groups include choruses comparsas cuartetos and romanceros turning the city into an open-air theatre for two entire weeks in February. The Plaza de Mina contains statues including a bust of José Macpherson born in number 12 Plaza de Mina in 1839. Manuel de Falla y Matheu was born in Number 3 Plaza de Mina where a plaque bears his name. The Museum of Cádiz holds many objects from the city's 3000-year history as well as works by artists such as Peter Paul Rubens. The annual contest sponsored by the official association takes place in the Gran Teatro Falla each year.

  3959