Cádiz

This article is about the city in Spain; for other uses, see Cadiz (disambiguation).

Cádiz – Phoenician: גדר - Gadir; Greek: Gadeira - , Ionic Greek: , Herod., and, rarely, , Eratosth. ap. Steph. B. s. v.; Latin: Gades – is a coastal city in southwestern Spain and part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of Cádiz. According to the 2004 census, the population of Cádiz proper is 133,242, while the population of the entire urban area is estimated to be 629,054. The city is located on a peninsula protruding into the Bay of Cádiz, the Isle of Leon, separated from the mainland by a narrow and torturous channel, part of much larger Gulf of Cádiz ; very high and thick walls surrounded the city, which from the sea presents a very picturesque appearance.

Cádiz is of typical Andalusian character. The old part of Cádiz, commonly referred to as the Old City (Spanish Casco Antiguo), is shaped by the individuality of the various quarters (Spanish barrios), "El Populo," "La Viña," or "Santa Maria." These areas offer a marked contrast to the newer areas of town. While the townscape of the Old City is largely formed by narrow alleys leading into a number of plazas, newer areas consist of wide avenues and more modern buildings. In addition, the city is dotted by numerous park plants, including old giant trees supposedly brought there by Columbus.

History

The city was originally founded as Gadir (Phoenician גדר "walled city") by the Phoenicians, who used it in their trade with Tartessos. It is regarded to be the most ancient city still standing in western Europe. Traditionally, its establishment has been dated to about 1100 BCE, although, as of 2004, no archaeological finds have been found that date back further than the 9th century BCE. One resolution to this discrepancy has been to assume that it was, in the initial phase, merely a small trading post. Later, the Greeks would know the city as Gadira or Gadeira. According to Greek legend, Gadir was founded by Heracles after killing Geryon. Indeed, one of the city's notable features during this era was the temple dedicated to the Phoenician god Melqart. Some historians think that the columns of this temple gave origin to the myth of the Columns of Hercules (Melqart was associated by the Greeks with Heracles, or Hercules).

In about 500 BCE, the city fell under the sway of Carthage. Cádiz became a base of operations for Hannibal's conquest of southern Iberia. However, in 206 BC, the city fell to Roman forces under Scipio Africanus. The people of Cádiz welcomed the victors. Under the Romans, it was renamed Gades. The city flourished under Roman rule as a naval base. By the time of Augustus, Cádiz was home to more than 500 equites, rivaled only by Rome and Padua, and its citizens ranked next to those of Rome itself. It was the situs of a Roman colony: Augusta Urbs Julia Gaditana. However, with the decline of the Roman Empire, Gades's commercial importance began to fade.

The 5th century overthrow of Roman power in Spain by the Visigoths saw the destruction of the original city, of which there remain few remnants today. Under Moorish rule between 711 and 1262, the city was called Qādis (Arabic قادس), from where the modern Spanish name Cádiz was derived. The Moors were finally ousted by Alphonso X of Castile who in 1262 chased the Moors.

During the Age of Exploration, the city experienced a renaissance. Christopher Columbus sailed from Cádiz on his second and fourth voyages, and the city later became the home port of the Spanish treasure fleet. Consequently, the city became a major target of the enemies of Spain. The 16th century saw a series of failed raids by Barbary corsairs. The greater part of the old town was consumed in the conflagration of 1569. Sir Francis Drake's raid was repulsed outside the city in April 1587, although he succeeded in torching a portion of the Spanish fleet in the harbor of Cádiz.^* The city suffered another raid in 1596 by the Earl of Essex and Lord Charles Howard, who sacked part of the town but were unable to hold the city and port. In the Anglo-Spanish War Admiral Robert Blake blockaded Cádiz from 1655 and 1657. In the 1702 Battle of Cadiz, the British attacked again under Sir George Rooke and James, Duke of Ormonde, but were repelled after a costly siege.

In the 18th century, the sand bars of the river Guadalquivir forced the Spanish government to transfer the port monopolizing trade with Spanish America from Seville to Cádiz. During this time, the city experienced a golden age in which 75% of Spanish trade was with the Americas. It became one of Spain's greatest and most cosmopolitan cities, home to trading communities from many countries, amongst whom the richest was the Irish community; many of today's historic buildings in the Old City date from this time. By the end of the century, however, the city suffered another series of attacks. The British fleet blockaded Cádiz between February 1797 to April 1798, and the city was bombarded by Nelson in 1800. During Napoleon's conquest of Europe, Cádiz served as one of the few locations that could resist the French invasion.

Cádiz was the seat of the liberal Cortes fighting Joseph I of Spain in the Peninsula war, and where the Spanish Constitution of 1812 was proclaimed. The citizens against revolted in 1820 to secure a renewal of this constitution; the revolution spread across Spain, leading to the imprisonment of King Ferdinand VII of Spain in the city. French forces secured the relase of Ferdinand in 1823, and suppressed liberalism. In 1868, Cádiz was once again the seat of a revolution, affecting the eventual dethronement of Queen Isabella.

In recent years, the city has undergone much reconstruction. Many monuments, cathedrals, and landmarks have been cleaned and restored to add to the charm of this old city.

Ecclesiastical history

The bishopric of Cadiz is a suffragan of the archbishopric of Seville. Its jurisdiction covers nearly all the civil province of Cadiz; only a few places, like Sanlucar, belong to the diocese of Seville, or, like Grazalema, to the diocese of Malaga. Cadiz (369,382) is the residence of the bishop. Cadiz was raised by Urban IV to episcopal rank in 1263 at the request of king Alfonso X, a year after its Reconquista on the Moors. Its first bishop was Fray Juan Martinez. After the Christians had won from the Moors the Plaza (stronghold) de Algeciras, the ordinaries of Cadiz bore the title of Bishop of Cadiz and Algeciras, granted by Clement VI in 1352. The see counted amongst its prelates in 1441 Cardinal Juan de Torquemada, an eminent Dominican theologian jurisconsult, who took a leading part in the Councils of Basle and Florence, and defended in his "Summe de Ecclesiâ" the direct power of the pope in temporal matters. By the Concordat of 1851 the diocese of Ceuta, also suffragen of Seville, was suppressed and incorporated with that of Cadiz, whose bishop was regularly Apostolic Administrator of Ceuta. There were in the early 20th century in Cadiz 32 parishes and 110 priests; in Ceuta, 22 parishes, 26 priests, and 11,700 inhabitants.

Major Landmarks

Cádiz, the oldest existing city in western Europe (and likely the western world), is home to many beautiful and historic monuments and attractions. Its peculiar location at the end of a narrow peninsula (see Google Maps satellite view) brings an added uniqueness to this city.

Cathedral

One of Cádiz's most famous landmarks is its cathedral. It sits on the site of an older cathedral, completed in 1260, which burned down in 1596. The reconstruction, which was not started until 1776, was supervised by the architect Vicente Acero, who had also built the Granada Cathedral. Acero left the project and was succeeded by several other architects. As a result, this largely baroque style cathedral was built over a period of 116 years. Due to this drawn-out construction, the cathedral experienced several major changes to its intended design. Though the cathedral began in baroque style, it contains rococo elements, and was finally completed in the neoclassical style. Its chapels have many paintings and relics from the Old Cathedral and other monasteries.

Gran Teatro Falla

The original Gran Teatro was constructed in 1871 by the architect García del Alamo, and was destroyed in an August 1881 fire. The current theatre was built between 1884 and 1905 over the remains of the previous Gran Teatro. The architect was Adolfo Morales de los Rios, and the direction was carried out by Juan Cabrera de la Torre. The outside was covered in red bricks and is of Neo Mudejar style. Following renovations in the 1920s, the theatre was renamed the Gran Teatro Falla, in honor of composer Manuel de Falla, who is buried in the crypt of the cathedral. After a period of disrepair in the 1980s, the theatre has since undergone further renovation.

Ayuntamiento

Overlooking La Plaza de San Juan Dios, the Ayuntamiento is the town hall of Cádiz's Old City. The structure was built in two stages. The first stage began in 1799 under the direction of architect Torcuato Benjumeda in the neoclassical style. The second stage occurred in 1861 under the direction of García del Alamo.

Torre Tavira

In the 18th century, Cádiz had more than 160 towers to watch over its waters; they were used by the many local merchants (and often formed part of their houses), who could then be informed of the ships that arrived and left. Today, Torre Tavira stands as the tallest remaining watchtower. With its "Cámara Oscura," visitors are led into a dark room that offers reflected panoramic views of the Old City.

Las Puertas de Tierra

Las Puertas de Tierra originated from the 16th century, although much of the original work has disappeared. Once consisting of several layers of walls, only one of these remain today. The 20th century saw the need to remodel the entrance into the Old City to accommodate modern traffic. Today, the two arcs cut into the wall serve as one of the primary entrances into the city.

Pylons of Cádiz

The pylons of Cádiz are electricity pylons of unusual design crossing the Bay of Cádiz. The pylons are 158 meters high and designed for two circuits. The pylons were designed by A.M. Toscano. The very unconventional construction consists of a frustum steel framework construction with a narrow grid width and one crossbar on the top for the conductors.

Irish merchant community in 18th century Cádiz

Members of the Irish community in 18th century Cádiz prospered, particularly in the last quarter of the century. Their success was due mainly to their achievement as merchants engaged in colonial trade. Small in number compared to other immigrant groups, they played a disproportionately prominent role in civic and ecclesiastical life, and as patrons of the arts in their adopted city. Their success stories in Cádiz contrast starkly with the lack of opportunity available to them in Ireland. Nevertheless, they did maintain vigorous mercantile and dynastic connections with their home places. Their accomplishments were all the more remarkable in that they were achieved against a background of fierce competition in Europe's most dynamic entrepôt of the day.

Beaches

Cádiz, situated on a peninsula, is home to some of Spain's most beautiful beaches.

La Playa de la Caleta

La Playa de la Caleta is the best-loved beach of Cádiz. It has always been in Carnival songs, due to its unequalled beauty and its proximity to the Barrio de la Viña. It is the beach of the Old City, situated between two castles, San Sebastian and Santa Catalina. It is around four hundred meters long and thirty meters wide at low tide.

La Playa de la Victoria

La Playa de la Victoria is the most visited beach by tourists and the native people of Cádiz. It is about three kilometers long, and it has an average width of fifty meters of sand. The moderate swell and the absence of rocks allow the entire family to enjoy bathing at this beach. It is separated from the city by an avenue; on the other side of the avenue are many shops and restaurants that form the newer part of Cádiz. The beach provides many activities, including sport areas, as well as places where you can rent beach umbrellas, sun loungers, and jetskis.

La Playa de Santa María del Mar

La Playa de Santa María del Mar or Playita de las Mujeres is a small beach in Cádiz. Situated between La Playa de Victoria and La Playa de la Caleta, it features excellent views of the old district of Cádiz.

Others

Other beaches include La Playa Cortadura and La Playa del Chato. Nowadays, there is a proposal of building a new beach in the Old Town of Cadiz. This new beach would be between the "Baluarte de la Candelaria" and the "Baluarte de San Felipe", being this way the second beach in the center of Cadiz.

Sources and external links

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Cádiz