Cádiz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the city in Spain; for other uses, see Cadiz (disambiguation).
| Cádiz, Spain |
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
| Nickname: "'Tacita de plata ("little silver cup")" | |||
 |
|||
| Province | Cádiz | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Teófila Martínez (PP) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 12.30 km² | ||
| - Land | 12.30 km² | ||
| - Water | 0.00 km² | ||
| Population | |||
| - City (2005) | 131,813 (city proper) | ||
| - Density | 10.716 persons/km² | ||
| 629,054 (metropolitan area) | |||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Website: http://www.cadizayto.es/ | |||
Cádiz – Phoenician: גדר - Gadir; Greek: Gadeira - τὰ Γάδειρα, Ionic Greek: Γήδειρα, Herod., and, rarely, ἡ Γαδείρα, Eratosth. ap. Steph. B. s. v.; Latin: Gades – is a City and Naval Station in southwestern Spain and part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz has been the "Spanish Navy's Capital of the Maritime Department of the South-Atlantic" since the arrival of the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century.
It is the capital of the province of Cádiz and the head of the university 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.
Contents |
[edit] Demographics
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
142,449 |
140,061 | 137,971 | 136,236 | 134,989 | 133,242 | 131,813 |
Source: INE (Spain)
[edit] 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, and as late as the early third century a tumulus was associated with Geryon[1]. Indeed, one of the city's notable features during this era was the temple dedicated to the Phoenician god Melqart, still flourishing at the beginning of the third century AD, according to the Life of Apollonius of Tyana. Some historians, based in part on this source,[2] 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.).
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.[1] 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 blockade and siege of Cádiz between February 1797 to April 1798 was by most standards a costly failure. Nelson, returning from his defeat at Santa Cruz, bombarded the city 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 release 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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. You can also visit his tower.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Pylons of Cádiz
The Pylons of Cádiz are electricity pylons of unusual design crossing the Bay of Cádiz. The pylons are 158 metres 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.
[edit] 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.[3] It is a connection that continutes to this day. http://www.europeanirish.com/Iberia/index.htm
[edit] Beaches
Cádiz, situated on a peninsula, is home to some of Spain's most beautiful beaches.
[edit] 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.
Also the James Bond movie Die Another Day was filmed here (it was supposed to be Cuba).
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Carnival
The Carnival of Cádiz is one of the best known carnivals in the world.
The city of Cádiz is often quotated for having the funniest people in Spain. The presence of this fiesta is almost constant in the city throughout the year with the rehearsals, representations and contests. The feeling of this carnival is the sharp criticism, the funny play on words and the imagination in the customes, more than the glamourous dressings. It is famous for the satyrical groups called chirigotas, their music and their lyrics. Among with the other groups, the choruses, comparsas, quartets and romanceros, turn the city into a popular and open theater throughout two entire weeks of February.
[edit] Sister cities
Sister cities of Cádiz are:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Havana, Cuba
Brest, France
Tangier, Morocco
A Coruña, Spain
Medway, UK
Baltimore, USA
[edit] Notes
- ^ Life of Apollonius of Tyana, v.5.
- ^ But he says that the pillars in the temple were made of gold and silver smelted together so as to be of one color, and they were over a cubit high, of square form, resembling anvils; and their capitals were inscribed with letters which were neither Egyptian nor Indian nor of any kind which he could decipher. But Apollonius, since the priests would tell him nothing, remarked: "Heracles of Egypt does not permit me not to tell all I know. These pillars are ties between earth and ocean, and they were inscribed by Heracles in the house of the Fates, to prevent any discord arising between the elements, and to save their mutual affection for one another from violation."
- ^ O'Flanagan P. and J. Walton, The Irish Community at Cádiz during the Late Eighteenth Century, Chapter 16 in Clarke, H., Prunty, J. and Hennessy, M. (eds) (2004) Surveying Ireland's Past, multidisciplinary essays in honour of Anngret Simms, Geography Publications, Dublin, pp. 353-383.
[edit] See also
- Ferrol City and Naval Station in Northwestern Spain.
- Cartagena City and Naval Station in Southeastern Spain.
[edit] Sources and external links
- Official City of Cádiz Homepage
- Official University of Cádiz Homepage
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography by William Smith (1857).
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- Cadiz University
- Cádiz Tourism Site
- Barry Yeoman, Destination: Cádiz, Spain, Attaché magazine
- New bridge for the Cadiz's Bay
- CadizFotos.com Photos of Cadiz. Cádiz Bank of Images.
| edit | Municipalities of Cádiz |  |
|---|---|---|
|
Alcalá de los Gazules | Alcalá del Valle | Algar | Algeciras | Algodonales | Arcos de la Frontera | Barbate | Benalup-Casas Viejas | Benaocaz | Bornos | Castellar de la Frontera | Chiclana de la Frontera | Chipiona | Conil de la Frontera | Cádiz | El Bosque | El Gastor | El Puerto de Santa María | Espera | Grazalema | Jerez de la Frontera | Jimena de la Frontera | La Línea de la Concepción | Los Barrios | Medina-Sidonia | Olvera | Paterna de Rivera | Prado del Rey | Puerto Real | Puerto Serrano | Rota | San Fernando | San José del Valle | San Roque | Sanlúcar de Barrameda | Setenil de las Bodegas | Tarifa | Torre Alháquime | Trebujena | Ubrique | Vejer de la Frontera | Villaluenga del Rosario | Villamartín | Zahara de la Sierra |
||
| edit | List of the Spanish Costas: |  |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Costa Brava | Costa Daurada | Costa del Azahar | Costa Blanca | Costa Cálida |Costa de Granada | Costa del Sol | Costa de la Luz | Costa del Marisco | Costa Verde |
||||||||||||
